Joe Gow has just one regret about the recent sex videos that ended his 17-year career as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.
He wishes he hadn’t self-censored that part of his life for so long, fearing his secret would lead to his being shunned by the higher education community.
After years of hearing UW leaders profess the importance of free speech, Gow decided to test that commitment. He felt the timing was apt, with months left in his chancellorship and plans to return next fall as a faculty member.
“I felt a little bit more open about ‘let’s raise these free speech issues and see how the board responds,’ and now we know,” he said.
He talked it over with his wife. They decided: “Let’s be more open.”
More:What to know about Joe Gow, fired UW-La Crosse chancellor involved in porn industry
Gow spoke with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel Wednesday evening, minutes after learning of his termination. The news stunned him.
“I did not expect that we’d end up where we are now,” he said. “I thought at least the board, given their staunch support of free speech, would be a little more understanding. But clearly that’s not the case.”
UW leaders used words like “abhorrent” and “reckless” and “disgusted” to describe Gow’s actions and their reactions. A law firm will conduct a full investigation.
Gow said he didn’t know how UW System officials became aware of the videos, which were all posted within the past two months. No one at the UW System or on the UW Board of Regents had asked about his hobby, he said.
“I would say that anything that I do or my my wife and I do, we do as citizens in the United States, who have the freedom of First Amendment to the Constitution, to create and publish books and videos that explore consensual adult sexuality,” he said.
‘We have people on the board that say they’re for free speech, but they really aren’t’
Free speech is a topic of particular importance to the Republican-controlled Legislature that holds the UW System’s purse strings.
The UW Regents have championed freedom of expression in recent years by producing annual reports, conducting a student survey and hosting free speech events across the state. Just this month, Gow sat through a free speech panel the board hosted, which featured both Democratic and Republican lawmakers.
His takeaway from the panel? “I felt very confident that these videos and books could be in the world and people would not take issue with it,” he said.
More:UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow fired for appearing in porn videos
Everyone should be able to talk freely about human sexuality, Gow said.
His previous attempt misfired when he invited adult film actress Nina Hartley to speak on campus in 2018, leading to a formal reprimand and denied pay raise.
He said he was “treated very poorly” over the episode that attracted national headlines. It has “colored how I approach this current situation.”
“I just think we have people on the board that say they’re for free speech, but they really aren’t,” he said. “And I don’t know how they will explain this.”
He called for a public hearing for students, faculty and staff to weigh in on what’s appropriate free speech.
Asked if people in public positions like himself should be subject to different standards of what is considered appropriate behavior, Gow said it’s important for leaders in prominent positions to encourage conversations about free speech.
What’s next for Gow?
Gow still plans to return to the classroom, though the UW System has asked his replacement, interim Chancellor Betsy Morgan, to review the status of Gow’s tenured faculty position.
Is he concerned about his private hobby tarnishing his 17-year legacy in La Crosse? He said only that he would like to be remembered “as somebody that promoted this fearless sifting and winnowing,” referring to the UW metaphor about the academic pursuit of truth.
Gow shrugged off a question about whether he will continue his films. He’s always been a boundary-pusher.
“I don’t know, you know, I’m 63 and we’ll see where I’ll go.”