LA CROSSE, Wis.—Dr. Joe Gow and his wife, Carmen Wilson, went viral earlier this year after being outed as adult content creators and healthy lifestyle social media influencers.
Gow served as chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse until December 27, 2023, when the University of Wisconsin System Board of Regents unanimously removed him from the position. Using the online handle "Sexy Happy Couple," Gow and Wilson share vegan cooking tips and recipes. They also star in NSFW scenes they post to OnlyFans and LoyalFans with some of the most popular performers in the adult industry. Names like Lauren Phillips, Sofie Marie, Nina Harley, India Summer, Danny Mountain, Ryan Driller, Tylar Nixon, Will Pounder and Damon Dice have appeared in scenes along with Gow and Wilson. Both also produced videos of themselves.
The Associated Press reported recently that Gow is now facing three professional misconduct charges in a bid to remove him entirely from the university. Gow is a tenured professor and teaches in the Communications Department at UW-La Crosse. However, interim chancellor Betsy Morgan, the woman who replaced him during the system's search for a new university chancellor, sent a letter to Gow accusing him of unethical conduct, failing to cooperate with an investigation, and using university computer systems to produce pornography. March 29 is when Morgan informed Gow of the charges. If he is found in violation, his position as a tenured professor would be at risk, and he could be removed from teaching at UW campuses.
"The interim chancellor of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse has filed charges to have me fired from my tenured faculty position at the university," Gow told AVN in an email. "I am exercising my right to have the charges heard by the [...] Faculty Senate's Hearing Committee. I have requested an open (public) hearing, which should take place in the coming weeks.
"I look forward to defending myself at the hearing," he continued. "I am waiting to see what the outcome of my hearing is."
Gow also explained that he feels as if the university wants to destabilize his ability to live and completely discredit himself as a respected academic.
"Because I do not have the unlimited financial resources the University appears to possess ... I will be defending myself at the hearing," he explained. "At present, the university has put me on paid leave. I am eager to return to teaching, and my wife is not continuing her academic career."
Despite this tumult, Gow remarked, "We are very grateful for the extraordinary support we've received from fans and people who work in the adult industry.
"I truly would not be doing any of this without [Wilson], and our shared experiences have greatly enhanced our intimacy, both on and off-screen. As one fan kindly commented, 'Your videos are hot, in a wholesome way.' That describes what we're trying to do perfectly. And we only wish the people trying to fire me from my teaching position felt the same way."
