Ex-chancellor fired for making porn sues university for reinstatement

Former University of Wisconsin–La Crosse chancellor and professor Joe Gow has filed a lawsuit against the school, seeking reinstatement after school officials dismissed him after discovering that he and his wife had created pornography.

Gow was fired twice from UW La Crosse in 2024 over his pornographic content; the school initially removed him from his position as university chancellor and then subsequently dismissed him from the university altogether. 

[RELATED: Making porn videos ‘shouldn’t cost me tenure’: ousted university chancellor]

Should Gow win the lawsuit, he stands to gain more than $400,000 in damages, including lost wages amounting to nearly $92,000 as well as the value of his unused sick leave, which exceeds $310,000, The Racquet Press reports.

According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Gow has voiced hope that his lawsuit to be reinstated may cause people to “rethink pornography.”

During his termination hearing before university administrators, Gow defended his value as an educator at the school and claimed that he believed students would be very interested in learning from him.

“I would love to get back in the classroom and I think there are a lot of people that would like to take classes with me,” Gow said.

As previously reported by Campus Reform, Gow was fired by a vote of 17-0. Some have characterized Gow’s termination as unjust, including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), who objected to the university’s decision on First Amendment grounds.

“Joe Gow is suing the University of Wisconsin La Crosse to vindicate his rights to engage in protected expression outside the classroom after the university unceremoniously fired him from his tenured professorship,” said FIRE legal defense counsel Zach Greenberg. “We support Gow’s drive to hold UW accountable for violating his fundamental First Amendment rights.”

[RELATED: University fires former chancellor who remained as professor despite making porn]

Other university officials have strongly objected to the prospect of retaining Gow, stressing that the school’s reputation may suffer if it continued to employ him.

“People were really hurt,” said interim chancellor Betsy Morgan during Gow’s hearing. “The biggest concern in most people’s mind was that they didn’t want their university associated with Joe and [his wife’s] hobby.”

Campus Reform has reached out to UW La Crosse for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.