'We don't want to be known as PornU,' interim UW-La Crosse chancellor says at first day of Joe Gow hearing

LA CROSSE — Joe Gow was removed as University of Wisconsin-La Crosse chancellor for creating sex videos posted on porn websites. Should he also be fired from his faculty position?

That's the question facing a group of Gow's colleagues this week. Wednesday, they heard Gow and the university administration start to make their cases in the first of a two-day public hearing that closely resembles a trial — with witnesses, cross-examinations and closing statements. The second day of the hearing is Thursday.

For UW-La Crosse, the hearing is the first step in a two-part process to finally purge Gow from its payroll and move on from what many see as an embarrassing chapter that damaged the university's reputation.

For Gow, it's an opportunity to clear his name and eventually return to the classroom to teach.

Here's a recap of the hearing Wednesday:

Joe Gow hearing to resume Thursday morning

The disciplinary hearing against Gow will resume at 9 a.m. Thursday.

The UW System called all of its witnesses. Gow will now present his case.

He told reporters after Wednesday’s hearing that he planned to raise questions about the chain of custody on his university computer devices, among other topics.

'We don't want to be known as PornU,' interim UW-La Crosse chancellor Betsy Morgan says

The prosecution's star witness, interim UW-La Crosse Chancellor Betsy Morgan, believes Gow should be fired for a pattern of concerning behavior that she claims Gows fails to understand is harmful to the university's reputation.

"Everywhere I go, people are concerned," she said. "Besides just the jokes, which are no longer funny, we don't want to be known as PornU. We're the top comprehensive (university) in the UW System. We want to be known for the quality of our academic programs."

Morgan said UW System President Jay Rothman asked if she would be willing to serve as interim chancellor a week before Gow was fired by the UW Board of Regents. When the news broke Dec. 27, Morgan said "it was really rather extraordinary and not in a positive way."

In Gow's cross-examination, he pressed her for examples of how he had tanked UW-La Crosse's reputation. He pointed out the university's latest enrollment projections were positive. Morgan conceded overall enrollment hadn't suffered but noted he hadn't been there "to witness the number of fires we've had to put out."

One student asked for Gow’s name to be removed from their diploma, Morgan said. Several donors threatened to pull their gifts if Gow returns to the classroom. Alumni emailed, called and told her in person about their embarrassment to be affiliated with the scandal.

Gow noted two major gifts UW-La Crosse recently received and questioned if fundraising had truly tanked.

Morgan said the gifts came through because Gow was gone and the donors felt more comfortable with the university's trajectory.

UW System attorney Wade Harrison scrolled through pages of emails advertising sex toys sent to Gow's university email address, which Morgan called "careless."

"When does it stop becoming all about this and start becoming about education?" she asked.

In a surprise, UW System attorney calls Joe Gow as a witness

Despite not being listed as a witness the prosecution planned to call, Harrison called Gow for questioning.

There was a flurry of surprise and confusion but Gow eventually agreed.

Harrison asked whether Gow stood by the statements in his books. In "Monogamy with Benefits," Gow wrote that “all the events described in this book are true.” The author’s note of another book said this is their “true story” and they “changed only the names and some of the identifying characteristics of the people involved in it.”

Gow said the events in the book were “based on a true story” and this was a “pretty common approach” in creative nonfiction.

“Some things are capital-T true and others are not,” he said.

Harrison also asked whether Gow disclosed his pre-existing business relationship with adult film star Nina Hartley to his cabinet before inviting her to speak on campus in 2018. Gow rejected the characterization of a business relationship while also confirming he paid Hartley’s talent agency.

Harrison tried continuing the line of questioning, then gave up.

“I’m not going to argue with you,” he said before moving on.

UW-La Crosse faculty member says Joe Gow wouldn't be welcome in department

The longtime chair of the communication studies department, where Gow would teach if he can return to the classroom, said she and other colleagues would hardly welcome him.

UW-La Crosse Professor Linda Dickmeyer said she and other professors periodically invited Gow to speak to their classes because of his academic background in communication studies. During the classes, however, she said Gow rarely engaged in the discussion topics, which led to classes falling behind. Professors questioned his level of content expertise and struggled to politely ask him to leave, she said.

During cross-examination, Gow said department faculty never shared these concerns with him.

Because Gow hasn't taught in about 20 years, Dickmeyer suggested he would teach introductory communications classes if he were to return. She cited concern about the "vulnerable audience" of mostly freshmen who enroll in these classes and the "notoriety" that would follow him into class, pointing to a recent media interview where he said he would invite questions from students about his lifestyle.

"I’m very concerned again with a captive audience," she said. "That is not the place to talk about what he does with his hobby."

Joe Gow calls charges 'bogus,' suggests UW System lied in report

Gow slammed the prosecution’s case, going so far as to suggest the UW System lied in its investigative report.

“Even though the burden of proof is on the administration, I’m deeply grateful to show just how irrelevant, inconsequential, misleading, distorted and downright false their charges are,” he said.

While the report said Gow deleted information from university computers before returning the devices, Gow said he deleted no information and his university computers were “seized” from his office. This shows UW is “even willing to lie to strip me of my tenure," he said.

Gow reiterated his concens about UW's process posing a conflict of interest. A UW System attorney is prosecuting the case; another is advising the hearing committee. The attorneys previously told Gow the arrangement was "routine" for these cases and the lawyers maintain approrpriate distance.

Gow also suggested the charges strayed from the central question of whether he's fit to be a faculty member. Tenure is based on the quality of a professor’s teaching, research and service.

"These bogus charges have nothing to do with that," he said.

UW System kicks off opening statements in Joe Gow hearing

In opening statements, Harrison said Gow's behavior undermines trust on campus and with the community at large. He said this more than justifies termination. He cited several examples nationally in which employees were lawfully fired for creating adult content.

Harrison said Gow's refusal to speak with investigators amounted to "insubordination." He called Gow's failure to disclose a prior relationship with Hartley before inviting her to speak on campus in 2018 "unethical." Gow admitted in his books that he and his wife hired sex workers for sex acts, writing "we had technically broken the law."

"Bragging about violating the law is not helpful to the university," Harrison said.

Roughly 75 people attended the hearing at the Omni Center in Onalaska. Three police officers were stationed outside the hearing room.

"In most employment settings, if someone were fired for being the CEO for engaging in this conduct, the employer relationship would come to an end," Harrison said. "Outside of higher ed, there would not be a backup position to rescue Dr. Gow's employment status. Dr. Gow should not be rescued."

What is Joe Gow accused of doing?

In a letter recommending Gow's dismissal, Morgan charged Gow with unethical and potentially illegal conduct, failing to cooperate with the investigation and violating information technology use policies.

The charges filed against Gow mostly relate to his time as chancellor. But the hearing focuses on whether he's unfit to teach.

Two organizations, the American Association of University Professors and the free speech organization known as the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, have raised doubts about UW-La Crosse's case and whether it seeks to punish Gow for his controversial lifestyle.

Who are the major players at the hearing?

Harrison and Jennifer Lattis, another UW System attorney, are representing UW-La Crosse.

Gow is representing himself.

Associate biology professor Anne Galbraith is leading the committee of five professors.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Joe Gow faculty hearing begins at University of Wisconsin-La Crosse