LOS ANGELES — The next chapter in the saga of labor proceedings against agent Derek Hay and his company LA Direct — also known as Direct Models Inc. — was postponed, late last week, when an administrative law judge granted a motion by Hay's counsel to postpone hearings that had been scheduled for this week.
According to sources familiar with the case, presiding Administrative Law Judge Susan L. Formaker granted a request by attorney Richard Freeman, representing Hay and Direct Models, to postpone the latest hearings concerning the renewal of Hay's agency license until July 2020.
Freeman told XBIZ that the judge had granted the postponement because Barton L. Jacka, the lawyer with the Legal Unit Division of Labor Standards Enforcement of the California Department of Industrial Relations, who is acting as a prosecutor in the matter of Hay's license, had neglected to provide the bulk of the material he needed to share with Freeman's office until only a few days before this week's scheduled hearings.
Over the past few weeks both Freeman and Jacka sent unexpected subpoenas to adult performers and journalists from major adult industry trade publications and a mainstream network affiliate compelling them to appear at this week's hearings.
The intimidating nature of these documents contrasted with the ramshackle process of informing these same witnesses of the postponement. This was done via text message and word-of-mouth and only produced in writing when requested by the confused witnesses.
These hearings are parallel to the "Jane Does" complaint against Hay and LA Direct, which XBIZ has been covering since September 2019, and which is currently being decided by a Special Hearing Officer at the Labor Commission.
For more XBIZ coverage of the Derek Hay/LA Direct situation, click here.
