Free Speech Coalition has issued the following statement regarding LA Direct Models and its owner Derek Hay, apparently in response to an NBC News report which interviewed several current and former LA Direct Models clients:
"No performer should have to experience the abuse, coercion, wage theft or fraud detailed by these women, whether at the hands of an agent, manager or producer. Sex work is real work, and sex workers deserve the same professionalism, respect, honesty and consent as any other worker.
"Since the allegations of abuse and coercion were filed against Derek Hay, we have stood for the rights of performers. The subsequent stories told by performers on the recent NBC News broadcast are no different.
"While we have no specific knowledge of Hay’s actions regarding the allegations, we can say that such behavior is immoral, illegal, and unacceptable. Hay was not a member of Free Speech Coalition, and we do not list him among our licensed talent agents. For years, he has refused to abide by the industry’s testing protocols."
(Note: although Free Speech does not list Hay among its "licensed agents," it is AVN's understanding that Hay is currently a licensed agent in California, although that license is currently under review by the California Labor Commission. Also, whether or not Hay has "refused to abide by the industry's testing protocols," many if not all of the performers he represents are tested and available under the industry's PASS system.)
"We understand the vulnerable position newcomers to the industry face. To better help them understand their rights and find reputable representation, we have launched the INSPIRE Program, which includes a list of licensed agents.
"Free Speech Coalition has long called for the decriminalization of consensual sex work, not only on the moral grounds of allowing private consensual behavior, but to allow sex workers to speak openly about abuse, coercion and theft that flourishes when they are forced to work in the shadows.
"Regardless of the outcome of this complaint, Free Speech Coalition will continue to fight aggressively for the rights of all sex workers."
