Free Speech Organization Comes Out in Support of Wisconsin Professor Who Posted on OnlyFans

Free Speech Organization Comes Out in Support of Wisconsin Professor Who Posted on OnlyFans

LA CROSSE, Wis. — After a University of Wisconsin-La Crosse faculty tribunal recommended stripping veteran professor of communications Joe Gow of tenure last week due to Gow having unremorsefully created and appeared in adult content, a major free speech organization has come out in his support.

The recommendation to strip Gow of tenure is now in the hands of the Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents, which will also decide whether he will face termination.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) published a statement Tuesday titled “The Naked Truth: University of Wisconsin’s Push to Fire Professor Over Porn Hobby Is Bad for All Faculty.”

As XBIZ reported, 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.”

Rothman told Gow in December that he had initiated a process to challenge his tenured faculty position in communication studies. The process resulted in a hearing where Gow was made to defend himself before a faculty tribunal. After the hearing, the tribunal recommended that Gow be stripped of tenure.

At the tribunal, Wade Harrison, senior legal counsel for the Universities of Wisconsin, laid out the case for removing Gow in front of a faculty senate committee.

Gow delivered an opening statement in his own defense, asserting, “Tenure is based on the quality of one’s teaching, research and service. These bogus charges have nothing to do with that and they raise the question: do faculty have the right to engage in free speech in their personal lives, particularly on contemporary social media?”

According to FIRE, Gow’s tenure was jeopardized “for the on-his-own-time activity of making pornographic videos with his wife and writing books about the experience.”

The tribunal’s recommendation, according to the free speech organization, clashes with the First Amendment, threatens the rights of all UW faculty and “undermines what tenure is meant to protect — including faculty members’ right to express themselves outside the classroom.” 

The First Amendment and the concept of academic freedom, FIRE added, “protect professors from the machinations of whichever party controls the state legislature, or who controls faculty governing bodies, university administrations, or boards of regents. Punishing faculty speech for offending big donors and legislators imperils the many professors who openly criticize elected officials or take minority views.”

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

French Telecoms Mogul Ignites AV Firestorm With Free VPN, Sarcastic Tweet

French billionaire Xavier Niel, founder of telecommunications giant Iliad S.A., ignited a heated debate this week when he appeared to admit that the no-cost VPN his Free Mobile wireless carrier has integrated into its service was deliberately designed to circumvent age verification restrictions and allow customers to access adult content.

UPDATED: Michigan Legislators Propose Online Porn Ban

Michigan lawmakers have introduced a bill that would make it illegal to distribute pornography via the internet in the state.

Taliban Restricts Access to Adult Content by Shutting Down Internet

The Taliban has shut down internet access across a large portion of Afghanistan in a move to prevent what it deems "immoral activities."

Go.cam Launches Video Spoofing Protection

Go.cam has announced that its verification solution now features security against video spoofing.

SexLikeReal Releases 'VR Self-Care' Guide

SexLikeReal (SLR) has published a blog post spotlighting “VR Self-Care.”

Brady Mills Agency to Launch 'AgeWallet' Subscription AV Solution

Tech company Brady Mills Agency announced that its subscription-based merchant age verification solution, AgeWallet, will launch in November.

EU Advocate General: France Can Require Foreign Sites to Implement AV

An advocate general of the European Union’s Court of Justice on Thursday advised the court to rule that France may require pornographic websites based in other EU states to implement age verification in accordance with French law.

Hentaied Founder Romero 'Mr. Alien' on Fetish, Fantasy and Finding Order in Chaos

A sharp sting pierces the woman’s skin. Something foreign slips beneath the surface. Eggs, maybe. She doesn’t know it yet, but soon her body will become a vessel, a hive, a source of contamination.

AEBN Publishes Popular Searches for July, August

AEBN has published the top search terms for the months of July and August from its straight and gay theaters in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

The Guardian Devotes Feature Article to XBIZ Amsterdam

British newspaper The Guardian sent a reporter to cover XBIZ Amsterdam earlier this month, resulting in a lengthy article about the annual European adult industry conference.

Show More