As I See It
Joe Gow got what he deserved
Does the punishment fit the crime? Ousted UW-La Crosse Chancellor Joe Gow claims he was somehow treated unfairly when he was fired, after it was discovered he was making pornographic videos. It’s not clear how Gow can keep a straight face when he claims his First Amendment rights were violated when he was dismissed as the face of the university. Hardly. He is not being prevented from making whatever movies he wants. That would be a violation of his rights. He was fired for tarnishing the reputation of the university. I mean, if you were a student walking across the stage at commencement, would you want to shake his hand? If you were an alum and hit up for contributions to your alma mater, would you write that check? Gow knew this was coming. In fact, he wrote a book about the porn industry under a pseudonym several years ago predicting his career would be ruined. He was already disciplined in 2018 for inviting a porn star to speak on campus, which led the Board of Regents to withhold his raise. Clearly they didn’t want an adult film star on campus, much less as the chancellor. Gow should not be shocked at the regents’ reaction, and should take his punishment and move on with his life.
Jerry Peterson
January 4, 2024 at 7:05 am
UWL also runs a daycare on campus, which Joe is responsible for. He shouldn’t be involved with a daycare.
Patrick Flynn
January 4, 2024 at 11:41 pm
Why, he wasn’t making child porn. Everything he did was consensual.
Michael Kopski
January 4, 2024 at 7:19 am
Bravo,..Mr. Shaw your comment hits it square on the head.
Colleen LeBlanc
January 4, 2024 at 7:40 am
Well said Scott Robert Shaw. I’m not surprised you could define the situation so articulately.
Bob N.
January 4, 2024 at 8:14 am
Well said, Scott. As with so many of his ilk these days, his “rights” trampled on the rights of others. As for Gow’s tenure and desire to remain at UW-L as a teacher, would you want your daughter in his classroom?
The Dude
January 4, 2024 at 9:24 am
Bob N; Colleen LeBlanc; Michael Kopski as a democrats I think we need to evaluate why would Joe Gow be treated any different than any other tenured prof? There is a precedent set at Harvard with Gay. She is able to retain her position just as Joe G. should be able to maintain his. Heck Joe and his wife were just trying to get things straightened out between the two of them.
Bob N.
January 4, 2024 at 10:25 am
I suspect the Regents are well-equipped to handle your rather wimpy position. Ms. Gay at Harvard is a serial plagiarist who won’t answer a direct question at a congressional hearing related to the safety of Jewish students. Well-heeled alums pulled the strings. She could probably be employed as a routine prof once all authority is stripped from her. Al Sharpton can handle her speaking tour.
Gow’s sins, however, are of a sexual nature. He has already shown poor judgement in that area. If you’re comfortable with him, friend, sign up your female family members for his classes, should it come to that. Front row, if you like.
The Dude
January 4, 2024 at 1:53 pm
Bob N,
Yes our family of they/them/he/him/she/her will certainly attend UWL. This should issue should not come as a surprise. UWL along with all of Lacrosse has been moving towards being open and inviting.
The Mayors along with the city and county of Lacrosse have moved forward and we have hired Chanin Kelly-Rae utilizing our tax dollars to open our minds to being open.
I will ask our children Joe(previously know as Jean she/her) to take Christine(previously known as Chuck he/him) to both attend and it will be a hoot watching former chancellor Joe Gow and his wife Carmen Wilson get “something straight between them”. We might even go home and grab some popcorn and watch a movie (if ya’ know what I mean)….FRONT ROW.
If you want we may even do a little Siskel and Ebbert review of the flicks.
Thank you for being so open, understanding, and being a part of the fabric of the Lacrosse community.
nick
January 4, 2024 at 11:03 am
In the name of diversity, equity and inclusion, there is a demographic that Gow fits into that must be represented anywhere. Heck I am a 75 year old slow person who is not wanted by any sport but yet I fill a demographic that should not be discriminated against by any professional league but here I sit on my sofa not wanted. Maybe. I will sue the professional sport leagues for not being diverse and inclusive.
Gow can do whatever he wants privately, but he is the face of a university and should be let go.
Char
January 4, 2024 at 11:47 am
Neither Joe Gow or Claudine Gay should be retained by their respective institutions. Both should be fired and completely removed. Neither one is fit to be called an “educator”. In the corporate world they would have been escorted out the front door.
The Dude
January 4, 2024 at 3:24 pm
Char,
We are in a new time post 1960- 2000 era with Educators, the new way is to be free and open. Our students are the individuals that will elect and appoint not only the UW Regents/Chancellors/and other elected official. This includes the “Corporate World”.
Our corporate worlds are now reflected in television commercials and the main stream shows. This is certainly a testament to the new culture that is coming up.
We need to encourage them to be free thinkers and be self aware. Their personal lives will and should cross over to education our students. The USA has a very different approach to nudity. Heck everyone of us on here were conceived through the actions that Joe and Carmen are being chastised for.
That being as it may, perhaps you should look at the culinary recipes that Joe and Carmen have provided us. Their shows appears to be based around a low carb and high protein diet. Each show introduces us to the many various ways to include meat.
Also, the cardio vascular aspect of the activities should not be overlooked.
Walden
January 4, 2024 at 7:11 pm
Gow got what he deserved and he got what he expected, per his own words. It makes one wonder if this was a set-up for a termination lawsuit. Nice try.
As long as he is gone, I can resume my giving to the UWL foundation.
ALA
January 6, 2024 at 1:57 pm
I think you are “spot-on” Walden regarding this being a set-up for a termination lawsuit! Didn’t he say mid year 2023 that he was going to retire from his chancellorship and go back to the classroom? He has nothing to lose now that his videos & books are out in the open. He can try to sue and even if the university says he can keep his job as a teacher, most families will not want their daughter in his classroom and he will claim that he was mistreated and try to sue again. This guy as no morals or ethics. As a classroom teacher of 25 years and my undergrad from UWL, he should not represent the face of the university or be an instructor in any classroom. I would not want my daughter (or son) in the same building that he is teaching in. He should have been fired when he arranged for the porn star to talk at the university. Someone in a chancellor position should not make errors like this – especially in the name of diversity. This is not diversity.
Patrick Flynn
January 4, 2024 at 11:45 pm
I agree with Gow. If he wants to make porn on his own time, that’s his business, not the university’s. Sex work is legitimate work. We need to stop shaming sex-workers.
Jerry Peterson
January 13, 2024 at 9:04 am
He advertised his YouTube channel, which promotes his pornography career, in the school newspaper.