MADISON, WIS. (WBBM NEWSRADIO) - A former University of Wisconsin chancellor who was fired after it came to light that he and his wife were making pornographic films is arguing to keep his job.
Joe Gow has been on paid leave from his faculty position for about a year for what’s termed as “unethical behavior.”
He was fired from his 17-year position as chancellor of UW-Lacrosse. He’s trying to keep the tenured teaching position.
A UW-La Crosse faculty committee unanimously recommended in July that Gow lose his faculty position, saying he exploited his position to generate more interest and revenue from the videos. University attorneys plan to argue Friday that he should lose his tenured teaching position because he harmed the university’s reputation and interfered with its mission.
Gow and his wife hosted a show on YouTube called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” featuring actors in the adult film Industry.
Gow has established he is unable to recognize his own poor judgment, university attorneys argued in filings ahead of the hearing.
Gow argued that his videos and two e-books he and his wife Carmen have published about their experiences in adult films are protected by the First Amendment.
“It is utterly inconsistent with the First Amendment and the Board of Regents’ own profession of fidelity to the philosophy of free expression on a college campus to terminate or even punish speech that is legal and that does not cause a serious harm to the university’s mission,” Gow’s attorney, Mark Leitner, argued in a filing ahead of the hearing.
Gow's hope to return to teaching in the classroom is opposed by his department chair, Linda Dickmeyer. She said that because Gow has not taught for 20 years, he would be assigned general education courses, but she opposes allowing him to return to teaching in any role.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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