A University of Wisconsin chancellor — who previously paid a porn star to speak to students on campus — has been fired after it was revealed he creates his own adult content with his wife and shares it online.
UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow, 63, was fired by the Board of Regents on Wednesday after it was discovered that he posts X-rated videos with his wife online under the name Sexy Happy Couple.
On X, formerly known as Twitter, Gow and his wife Carmen Wilson share photos of video clips from their cooking channel where they regularly feature adult video stars as guests. They also link to LoyalFans and OnlyFans for “fully explicit scenes.”
'In recent days we have become aware of specific behavior by Dr. Gow, causing the university to suffer significant reputational damage. His actions were abhorrent,” University of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman said.
UW-La Crosse Provost Betsy Morgan was named interim chancellor and as a permanent faculty member, Gow was placed on paid administrative leave. Rothman filed a complaint to have Gow's settled status assessed.
UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow, 63, was fired by the Board of Regents on Wednesday after discovering he posts X-rated videos with his wife online
Gow (right) and his wife Carmen Wilson (left) post content under the name Sexy Happy Couple and host a cooking show where they have adult film stars as guests
Rothman said they have hired an outside law firm to investigate the matter.
'Dr. Joe Gow has shown a reckless disregard for the role entrusted to him at UW-La Crosse to serve students, faculty and staff, and the campus community,” said UW System Regent President Karen Walsh.
“The outrage over his behavior is reflected in the UW Board of Regents' unanimous vote to remove him as chancellor. We are alarmed and disgusted by his actions, which were completely and unequivocally inconsistent with his role as chancellor.”
Gow, La Crosse's second-longest serving chancellor, told the newspaper Milwaukee Journal Sentinel its content is protected by freedom of expression and no university property or funds were used to create it.
“Nothing is said about the University of Wisconsin; nothing is said about the chancellor (on the videos). So someone else would have to make those associations. And then someone would have to say this is problematic,” Gow said.
In 2018, Gow was denied a raise after paying porn star Nina Hartley $5,000 from his discretionary fund to speak at the La Crosse campus.
During the 90-minute speech, Hartley told students that it is acceptable to enjoy pornography, and not to enjoy it or be confused by it. She also emphasized that pornography is fantasy.
Gow later apologized for the “sensational” media attention Hartley's performance had attracted, saying he was naive about the possibility that her appeal would overwhelm her message. He also personally reimbursed the school for the $5,000.
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Gow and Wilson have six videos on OnlyFans featuring adult film stars, according to the videos' descriptions.
In a recent cooking video, the couple had adult film star Lauren Phillips (right) as their guest. Their cooking account tells users to go to their OnlyFans page for 'explicit scenes'
The couple had adult film star Tyler Nixon (left) as their recent guest. The Board of Regents called Gow's actions 'abhorrent'
In 2018, Gow was denied a pay rise after getting in trouble for paying porn star Nina Hartley (pictured) $5,000 to speak on campus
The couple also appear on at least two other porn websites – PornHub and XHamster – and some videos have been viewed more than 200,000 times. All videos were posted within the last two months.
Guests on their cooking channel include Lauren Phillips, Damon Dice, Tyler Nixon, Will Pounder, Danny Mountain and Mia Malkova.
Gow and Wilson have reportedly published two books about their adult content under pseudonyms and describe themselves as executives of well-known institutions in the country.
In Monogamy with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship, published in 2015, the couple said they are “fairly certain there would be a scandal if our peers knew what we did.”
'We think our sex is beautiful and have no problem with other people seeing how we make love. But our established colleagues would probably be shocked to see us complete the full carnal process – especially with professional porn stars – and we're pretty sure we'll be shunned in our community.”