After being fired twice, first from his chancellor post and then from his tenured faculty role at the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse, Joe Gow is suing in an effort to return to the classroom, alleging his termination violated his First Amendment rights.

Gow was fired after Universities of Wisconsin officials discovered he had appeared in and distributed pornographic materials, producing vegan-themed adult videos and erotic books with his wife that were published online. Gow has defended his actions as protected by the First Amendment and argued that he should not have lost his tenured faculty position as a result of his conduct. Gow’s lawsuit does not contend his dismissal from his at-will chancellor position.

“Dr. Gow’s videos and books are speech protected by the First Amendment. In particular, as a public employee, Dr. Gow has a First Amendment right to speak as a private citizen on issues of public concern, such as healthy human sexuality and the best ways to promote strong monogamous marriages,” part of the lawsuit filed against UW leadership and regents reads.

Gow told Inside Higher Ed that UW “didn’t like what I did on the internet in terms of publishing books and making videos,” which “was done as a private citizen.” By firing him in relation to his production of pornography, Gow said UW officials deprived him of his First Amendment rights.

He added that the lawsuit was filed on the first day of classes for UW–La Crosse, which is when he would have returned to the classroom in his role as a tenured communications professor. 

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression—which is not representing Gow but has previously expressed support for him—issued a statement Tuesday backing his lawsuit.

“Joe Gow is suing the University of Wisconsin La Crosse to vindicate his rights to engage in protected expression outside the classroom after the university unceremoniously fired him from his tenured professorship. We support Gow’s drive to hold UW accountable for violating his fundamental First Amendment rights,” FIRE faculty legal defense counsel Zach Greenberg said.

UW System officials declined to comment.