U of Wisconsin Professor Pens Essay About Crusade to Get Him Fired for Creating Adult Content

U of Wisconsin Professor Pens Essay About Crusade to Get Him Fired for Creating Adult Content

LA CROSSE, Wis. — A veteran University of Wisconsin professor, who was removed from his post as chancellor last year due to creating and appearing in adult content, has penned a piece for The Chronicle of Higher Education detailing his ordeal and ongoing attempts to fire him from his tenured position.

As XBIZ reported, professor of communications Joe Gow was fired as chancellor on the recommendation of Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman, who called the professor’s actions — including posting adult videos with his wife on their OnlyFans account — “abhorrent.”

Gow’s essay, published Wednesday by the leading academic trade publication details how the professor and his wife, fellow academic Carmen Wilson, used vacation time “to secretly record a series of sex scenes with adult-industry professionals” for a decade.

“We made 18 of them in all, and we also published two books (using pen names) about our experiences,” Gow explains. “Late last year, after I had announced I was stepping down from my administrative position at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse to focus on my faculty role, we thought it would be interesting to see how a few of our scenes might be received on popular adult websites. We uploaded five of them (featuring just the two of us). Knowing those platforms host millions of videos, we doubted anyone would pay much attention. How wrong we were.”

After a vaguely threatening HR meeting, Gow started to worry about his job.

“This wasn’t the first time I had been involved in a free-speech controversy,” he writes. “Five years earlier, I had caused quite a stir when I arranged for an adult-film actress and sex educator, Nina Hartley, to speak on my campus. Back then, I caved in to pressure from the system’s Board of Regents and president, weakly apologizing and reimbursing Hartley’s speaking fee with $5,000 of my own funds — something I came to regret. With that unpleasant experience firmly in mind, I decided to keep the videos up on the web and wait to see how the system’s leaders would respond.”

Two days after Christmas, Gow writes, Rothman — a retired corporate attorney with no advanced academic studies beyond his law degree — emailed him, informing him of his termination from the chancellor position, and released the media statement referring to the professor’s actions as “abhorrent.”

To Gow’s surprise, Rothman then added that he was initiating a process to challenge his tenured faculty position in communication studies.

Rothman engaged an outside law firm to produce a report, which resulted in Gow being charged with failing to cooperate fully with the investigation, violating university computer use policies, and engaging in unethical and potentially illegal conduct.

“To retain my tenure, I need to defend myself before a faculty tribunal at a hearing to be held in mid-June,” he writes. “I look forward to doing so.”

Back in late December and early January, conservative publications clamored for Gow to be disciplined and stripped of his tenure.

The Murdoch family-owned New York Post published an editorial calling Gow’s adult video postings on Only Fans part of “a rot in higher education” that “runs wide and deep.”

The Post editorial board said Gow “enjoyed the frisson of being a prominent figure in education who dabbled in smut,” and described his campus invitation to Hartley — a feminist sex educator with decades of experience in public sexual health, and a registered nurse who holds an honorary doctorate from San Francisco’s Institute for Advanced Study of Human Sexuality — as “exactly the kind of coy but in-your-face behavior weirdos with respectable public personae engage in.”

Main Image: University of Wisconsin Communications Professor Joe Gow, with wife Carmen Wilson and performer Lauren Phillips

Copyright © 2025 Adnet Media. All Rights Reserved. XBIZ is a trademark of Adnet Media.
Reproduction in whole or in part in any form or medium without express written permission is prohibited.

More News

TrustyFans Introduces New Blog

Creator directory TrustyFans has introduced an official blog to its site, titled "From Hidden to Hype."

JustFor.fans' Dominic Ford Featured in Wired Magazine

JustFor.fans Founder and CEO Dominic Ford is featured in a new article in Wired Magazine, titled "The Internet Revolutionized Porn. Age Verification Could Upend Everything."

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos Joins ProDx Health Advisory Board

Dr. Charlotte Gaydos has joined the Advisory Board of ProDx Health.

Aylo Fined $5 Million as FTC, Utah Settle Safety Practices Complaint

The Federal Trade Commission and the state of Utah on Wednesday settled a complaint against Aylo, requiring the company to pay a $5 million penalty and implement measures to prevent illegal content from appearing on its sites.

New AI Companion Platform 'Pornstar.love' Launches

Pornstar.love, a new AI companion platform, has officially launched.

Pineapple Support, Stripchat to Host 'Navigating Thoughts of Suicide' Support Group

Pineapple Support and Stripchat are hosting a free online support group to help performers deal with suicidal ideation.

Plaiir Names Cade Maddox as Lead of Creator Relations

Networking platform Plaiir has appointed Cade Maddox as its new lead of creator relations.

Go.cam Launches 'One-Line Integration' Verification Solution

Go.cam has introduced a one-line code integration for age verification.

XBIZ Amsterdam to Debut 'Behind the Lens' Screening Series

XBIZ is pleased to announce the debut of “Behind the Lens,” a new screening series presenting discussions with noted directors, taking place at the upcoming annual European conference, XBIZ Amsterdam.

'White Rabbit' Party Headed for XBIZ Amsterdam

XBIZ is pleased to announce the White Rabbit Party, an XBIZ Amsterdam special event set to take place Wednesday, Sept. 3.

Show More