A former University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor fired over his involvement in the adult entertainment industry filed a federal lawsuit Monday in hopes of getting reinstated as a professor at the campus. Joe Gow's story has garnered national attention both for the salaciousness of a high-profile university official making pornographic movies and publicly talking about it, and for the questions it raises about free speech rights.
Universities of Wisconsin spokesperson Mark Pitsch declined to comment on the lawsuit, saying only that the system doesn't comment on pending litigation. UW system regents removed Gow as chancellor in December after learning through an anonymous complaint that he and his wife, Carmen Wilson, have discussed sexual issues in their "Sexy Healthy Cooking" YouTube videos, created and starred in online pornographic videos and published two e-books under pseudonyms about how porn enriches their relationship.
Gow had a backup position at UW-La Crosse as a tenured communications professor, but then-interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan placed him on paid leave after he was fired as chancellor, preventing him from sliding into that spot. The regents formally terminated his professorship this past September after university attorneys argued that Gow acted unethically, violated terms of his contract and damaged the school's reputation. Gow has never apologized for producing pornography and has made no promises that he won't do it again, although he told The Associated Press that he and his wife haven't produced their "Sexy Healthy Cooking" YouTube show since the summer of Gow argues in his lawsuit that the firing from his professor position violated his free speech rights under the U.
The lawsuit alleges that the videos and books Gow and his wife created were not obscene or illegal. He distributed them outside the UW-La Crosse workplace, produced them while on vacation and personal time, and personally covered production costs.
Gow said he took no deliberate steps to use his public position with the university to promote the content, to discuss the videos or books with students or colleagues, or to encourage them to purchase them. The lawsuit seeks a court order reinstating Gow as a professor as well as unspecified lost wages and other damages.
