University chancellor ousted for making 'abhorrent' porn videos

The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has fired its chancellor for producing and appearing in pornographic videos.

A statement from Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said that Chancellor Joe Gow was terminated on Dec. 27 following a unanimous vote from the UW Board of Regents.

“In recent days, we learned of specific conduct by Dr. Gow that has subjected the university to significant reputational harm,” Rothman said. “His actions were abhorrent.”

UW System Regent President Karen Walsh echoed this sentiment in a statement, saying Gow showed “reckless disregard for the role he was entrusted with,”  and that the board is “alarmed, and disgusted, by his actions, which were wholly and undeniably inconsistent with his role as chancellor.”

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The firing comes after it was discovered that Gow had been producing and publishing pornographic content with his wife. The couple posts explicit content on X and porn websites, and hosts a YouTube channel called “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” which shows videos of them cooking alongside other porn actors and actresses.

The couple have also published two books under the pseudonyms Geri and Jay Hart, which they note “are the pen names of a married woman and man who serve in executive positions at two well-known organizations in the U.S.” on their Amazon author biography. 

Gow previously came under fire in 2018 for paying $5,000 from his office fund to host a speaking event featuring porn actress Nina Hartley, who also appeared with Gow on his YouTube channel. 

The move earned Gow a letter of reprimand from then UW System President Ray Cross, who informed him that he was “being reprimanded for exercising poor judgment and for a lack of responsible oversight with respect to the use of state funds.”

Cross wrote that he was “deeply disappointed” by the chancellor’s decision to recruit Hartley to speak on campus, and that it highlighted his “prior cautions about [Gow’s] interactions with the media and [Gow’s] need for a public information officer.”

Gow was also disqualified from receiving a raise that year. He defended his decision, however, saying, “This was a real value for $5,000, and a rare perspective we don’t hear every day.”

As pressure mounted, however, Gow decided to reimburse the school for $5,000 out of pocket. He apologized for his “naive” decision and the ensuing “sensationalistic media attention,” pledging to also bring an anti-porn speaker to campus, which he did.

Gow is no stranger to controversy. He received backlash in 2017 for saying he was “shocked and saddened” by President Donald Trump’s travel ban executive order.

During Gow’s tenure as chancellor, the university held a “Hate/Bias Response Symposium” and “social justice rapper” in 2018, and also paid a transgender activist speaker in 2021.

Gow’s university biography also identifies him as an “LGBTQ Friendly Face.”

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For now, he remains employed on “paid administrative leave as he transitions into his faculty role,” though Rothman has requested his tenure status be reviewed.

Gow maintains that his actions are protected by the First Amendment, especially since he allegedly did not mention his position with the university during his pornographic work. 

Campus Reform has contacted UW–La Crosse and Gow for comment. This article will be updated accordingly.

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