Free Speech Coalition Executive Director Steps Down

Eric Paul Leue is stepping down as the executive director of the Free Speech Coalition, the trade group for the adult industry. Leue had led the Canoga Park organization for about three and a half years. His last day will be July 31 and his plans include returning to work in the public health sector. Ian O’Brien, senior director of programs and operations, will serve as interim head until a replacement is named. He was proud of the bridges the coalition has built and for achieving financial stability during his tenure, Leue said. “I am confident that these past three-and-a-half years have helped lay the foundation to build a stronger, more respected and more inclusive industry,” he added in a statement. As executive director, Leue helped build effective coalitions with mainstream political groups like the American Civil Liberties Union and the Electronic Frontier Foundation. He served as director of the campaign against Prop 60, a 2016 ballot measure to make condoms mandatory in adult films that was defeated at the polls. He was also instrumental in developing an effective relationship with Cal/OSHA and the Department of Public Health. Coalition Board Chairman Jeffrey Douglas said the group was lucky to have Leue for the time that it did. “In just a few years, Eric proved to be one of the most consequential leaders the organization and the adult industry has had. We will miss him immensely,” Douglas said in a statement.