LA CROSSE, WI (WSAU) – The University of Wisconsin Board of Regents voted to dismiss Joe Gow as Chancellor of UW-La Crosse on Wednesday night by unanimous vote.
The closed session vote followed a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel report that discovered that Gow and his wife Carmen Wilson had posted several videos on adult websites, including OnlyFans and PornHub, under the username “Sexy Happy Couple.”
Gow told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he was “surprised” that the board terminated him. He asserted that the First Amendment of the United States Constitution grants him and his spouse the freedom “to create and publish books and videos that explore consensual adult sexuality.” He also called for a public hearing on the issue and accused several board members of being against freedom of speech.
Shortly after the announcement on Wednesday night, UW-La Crosse announced in a statement that Provost Betsy Morgan had been named interim chancellor, saying, “I’m honored to serve the students, faculty, and staff of UWL in this interim time while the university searches for a new permanent chancellor,” Morgan wrote. “I also want to acknowledge how challenging it is for the campus to face a change like this on such short notice. Please be assured that my sole goal will be to provide stable leadership in the months ahead, and I’ll be working closely with student leadership.”
