LACROSSE, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin regents fired UW-L Chancellor Joe Gow for producing a series of sexually explicit sex videos with his wife for online viewing and for co-authoring two books detailing their sexual lives since childhood. The regents, at a Madison meeting, were unanimous. The chief of the UW system’s governing board, Jay Rothman, called Gow’s behavior “abhorrent.” Rothman said system officials learned about the videos only in recent days. Apparently nobody was much aware – or at least not much bothered — about the two books that Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson self-pubished in 2017 and 2o18. For the books they chose pseudonyms: Geri and Jay Hart. There are playful if not comedic touches in the videos. In one scene Gow, who is 63 years old, pops a Viagra and sips white wine from a crystal goblet. Yes, this is in bed. In YouTube accounts titled “Sexy Healthy Cooking,” Gow and WIson ndescribe themselves as a “passionate plant-powered couple cooking, conversing, and shooting with top adult video stars.” While most posts are recent, an X account has been in exjstence since in 2018 when X was known as Facebook. The videos aren’t entirely sex-explicit. There are elegant kitchen scenes in which, fully clothed, Gow and Wioson are preparing a gourmet meal. In another video they are in jogging gear running through a palm-lined neighborhood.
Board of Regents
The UW regents decided to fire Gow in a three-hour meeting that was closed to the public. Gow was aware of the agenda and asked to be heard. He was denied access. His removal, the regents said, was to be immediate. Put in charge as interim chancellor was Betsy Morgan, the university’s chief academic officer. Last winnter Gow had announced he intened to retire as chancellor in June at the end of this academic year and return, as is the usual protocol, to the faculty. Apparently that won’t happen. Gow is being placed on administrative. And Jay Rothman, the chair of the Board of Regents, said he will challenge whether Gow can remain even as a tenured faculty member.
Porn connections
Gow ran into trouble with the Board of Regents in 2018 for inviting porn actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus about adult media. Gow defended Hartley’s appearance as an exercise in free expression. As a penalty the regents denied Gow a pay raise. Things seemed to have veeb patched over, however. Rothman later said: “This is a hallmark of excellent stewardship. Gow has provided a steady hand through challenging times and met the moment when we needed him.” Since hen Gow and Wilson have been in a continuing porn-industry relationship with Hartley. She is featured in one of their “Sexy Happy Couple” cooking shows making a vegetarian variation of kung pao chicken. That for Rothman was too much
Gow profile
Gow holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Penn State in 1982; a master’s in speech communication from the University of Alabama in 1985; and a doctorate, also in speech communication, from Penn State in 1989. He completed a management development program at Harvard University in 1998.
Career history
Alfred University. In upstate New York. Director of communication studies (1990-2001). Associate dean of liberal arts and sciences (1996-2001.) Three-time recipient of \ campus-wide teaching excellence award.
Winona State University. Dean of liberal arts (2001-2004),
Nebraska Wesleyan University. In Lincoln Provost (2004-2006. Interim president (2006).
UW-LaCrosse. Chancellor (2006-2023).
Golden Gate wedding. He jogged from Marin County, she from San Francisco, Midway on the Golden Gate bridge, 200 feet over the deep-water strait into the Bay, they were married. That was the 2014 wedding of Joe Gow, chancellor of the University of Wiscsonsn-La Crosse, and Carmen Wilson, a psychology professor who had led the search committee that chose Gow as UW-L chancellor eight years earlier.
Gow. A former liberal arts dean at Winona State University. He had been UW-L chancellor since 2007 — second longest serving chancellor in the university’s 118-year history.
Filmography
“Sexy Happy Couple,” 28 minutes.
“Sexy Healthy Cooking,” 30 minutes.
“Sweet Treat,”30 minutes.
“Bedroom Shenanigans,” 27 minutes.
“Our Vacation Sex,” 27 minutes.
Books
“Monogamy with Benefits: Our Rea-Life Adult Industry Adventures.” Published 2017. 216 pages. Out of print. Kindle: $3. Rated by Amazon: 251st in Study of Pornography category; 2,387th in General Sexual Health; and 5,206th Sex and Sexuality.
“Marriage with Benefits: How Porn Enriches Our Relationship.” Published 2018. 211 pages. Out of print. Kindle: $3. Rated by Amazon: 17th in Study Pornography category; 27th in Human Sexuality Studies; and 211th in General Sexual Health.
Verbatim
Gow in a message to LaCrosse radio station WIZM: “My wife and I are very grateful to have the First Amendment right to create and publish books and videos that explore consensual adult sexuality. We are disappointed the UW Board of Regents have not given us a public hearing about this.”
WSU recollections
In his three years at Winona State, Gow won over students as the guitar-strumming dean. He would show up at student events, sometimes invited, sometimes not, but always welcome. He was a favorite folk-song jammer at the downtown Acoustic coffee shop, a student hang-out. Among faculty he was unafraid to criticize higher-level administrators for short-changing the liberal arts in budget priorities – even though the college had the largest enrollment at the university. He was firm in supporting free expression and shielded theater, visual arts and journalism from censorship. When Gow resigned in a career move to Iowa, the student press called him a dean who have had leather patches sown on his jacket elbows but didn’t. In other words, there was nothing stuffy about him.
Carmen Wilson profile
Wilson, age 56, holds a doctorate in counseling psychology and two lesser psychology degrees from Iowa State University. Her career. latest at top:
Dickson State University. In North Dakota. Vice president ofacademic and student affairs. 2016-on.
University of Wisconsin-Rock County . In Janesvuille. 2011-2016.
University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. Chancellor’s chief of staff. 2008-1011.