U of Wisconsin Regents Schedule Hearing on Fate of Content Creator Professor

U of Wisconsin Regents Schedule Hearing on Fate of Content Creator Professor

LA CROSSE, Wis. — The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents has scheduled a final hearing to weigh a faculty tribunal’s recommendation to strip veteran UW professor of communications Joe Gow of tenure for unremorsefully creating and appearing in adult content.

The hearing, which will be an open meeting of the Board of Regents personnel matters committee, is scheduled for Sept. 20 at UW-Madison’s Vilas Hall, the La Crosse Tribune reported. The paper noted that oral arguments will be offered by Gow or his lawyer, Mark Leitner, and by either Wade Harrison or Jennifer Lattis of the UW system’s legal counsel office. Harrison is senior legal counsel for the Universities of Wisconsin and previously laid out the case for removing Gow in front of a faculty senate committee. 

The personnel matters committee will then meet in closed session before making a recommendation for the full Board of Regents to consider at an upcoming meeting, possibly as soon as Sept. 26-27 at UW-Parkside.

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 during which Gow was required to defend himself before a faculty tribunal. After the hearing, the tribunal recommended that Gow be stripped of tenure.

At the tribunal, 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?”

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) published a statement in July in support of Gow.

Academic authorities were originally egged on to take action against Gow by Rupert Murdoch-owned publications, as part of an ongoing, nationwide trend of Republican and conservative activists and operators waging stigmatizing smear campaigns targeting the livelihoods of individuals in diverse walks of life over their sex work, even when it is unrelated to their other occupations and activities.

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

Adult Industry Educational, Networking Platform 'Imperfectly You' Launches

Imperfectly You, an educational and networking platform for adult industry workers, has officially launched.

Segpay to Launch News Network for High-Risk Merchants

Segpay has announced that it will launch the Segpay News Network (SNN) on April 15.

Age Verification Watch: Patching the Holes

This roundup provides an update on the latest news and developments on the age verification front as it impacts the adult industry.

Pineapple Support to Host Autism Spectrum Support Group

Pineapple Support is hosting a free online support group for performers and creators who are, or suspect they may be, on the autism spectrum.

ImLive Launches Revamped Member Loyalty Program

Cam platform ImLive has revamped its member loyalty program.

GoFundMe Set Up for Danny Ferretti's Medical Expenses

A GoFundMe campaign has been set up for Fangear founder Danny Ferretti, who requires extensive lung surgery.

Byborg Acquires Cuties AI

Byborg Enterprises has acquired adult artificial intelligence startup Cuties AI.

Irish Government Releases Report on Sex Work Decriminalization Legislation

The Irish government has released a report reviewing a 2017 law that decriminalized sex work across the country.

Texas Bill Would Require Age Verification for Online Sex Toy Sales

A new bill in the Texas state legislature would require online retailers to implement age verification of purchasers before selling “obscene devices” to anyone in that state.

New York Assemblyman Proposes Banning the Term 'Sex Work'

Republican New York Assembly Member Brian Maher has introduced a bill to prohibit the use of the term "sex work" in government documents.

Show More