Univ. of Wisconsin Regents Schedule Next Joe Gow Hearing

MADISON, Wis.—The University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents has informed Dr. Joseph Gow of his upcoming personnel matters review hearing as it relates to his ouster as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse (UW-La Crosse) in December 2023, via a notice letter sent to Gow that was reviewed by AVN. Dr. Gow was outed as an adult content creator alongside his spouse, Dr. Carmen Wilson, and was immediately removed from his position and placed in a tenured role as a professor of communications focusing on media studies. Gow and Wilson starred in self-produced amateur content under the shared user name "Sexy Happy Couple." However, UW System and UW-La Crosse administration officials want Gow removed from any position and to deny him tenure due to claims of reputational harm. In a June disciplinary hearing, a panel of his fellow faculty at UW-La Crosse reached a ruling recommending that Gow be terminated and submitted the recommendation to the interim chancellor, who in turn submitted the administrative and ethical charges to the Board of Regents. Now, the Board of Regents has scheduled a hearing for Friday, September 20 to review Gow's status of tenure and employment. The letter sent to Dr. Gow's attorney reads, "Please hold Friday, September 20 ... on your calendars for a hearing before the UW System Board of Regents [...] for the purpose of oral arguments on the matter of [the chancellor's] recommendation to dismiss with cause Professor Joseph Gow from his tenured faculty position at UW-La Crosse." Gow is currently represented by attorney Mark M. Leitner of Laffey, Leitner & Goode LLC on behalf of the nonprofit Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE). Dr. Gow and his counsel will appear before the Board of Regents' Personal Matters Review Committee. Following the scheduled hearing, the committee might not announce their decision. The hearing committee will reportedly issue a confidential recommendation that will then be forwarded to the entire board for consideration. That means Gow might not know if the board has terminated his tenure and position until they have their regularly scheduled meeting, which is also at the end of September. A public hearing might be expected but with a private vote—something that may violate open records and meeting laws in Wisconsin. AVN has reported extensively on Dr. Gow's case.  Gow hinted during the June hearing that he would potentially bring legal action against the university system. He also recalled fielding initial legal assistance from FIRE. At the time, the group had yet to allocate an attorney on his behalf. Now, that assigned attorney is Leitner.