The fallout from the Miss America email scandal continues to grow, with senior leaders from the organisation resigning after correspondence leaked that showed them disparaging and abusing former contestants and winners.
Chief executive Sam Haskell announced his resignation overnight, a day after being suspended by the Miss America board; president Josh Randle and chairwoman Lynn Weidner have also stepped aside in the wake of the scandal.
Earlier of this week, the Huffington Post reported on details of dozens of emails shared between senior staff and board members of the organisation, many of them disparaging former winner Mallory Hagan and commenting on her weight and sex life.
— Mallory Hytes Hagan (@ItsMalloryHagan) December 22, 2017
Hagan, who won the pageant in 2013, spoke out after the emails were made public, saying:
“My hope is that this story that broke will bring light to the type of behaviour that’s been in leadership of the Miss America Organisation and really help us put in place some people who care and who embody the mission of Miss America. Having somebody bully you, demean you, degrade you in any way is not OK.”
Former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth started a petition calling for Haskell’s resignation, on the basis of his “despicable” conduct, and by Friday, it had gathered dozens of signatures from former winners.
The petition also criticised Miss America officials who “sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around.” Many former winners complained that Haskell ruled the pageant with an iron fist, and demeaned and blackballed those who did not follow his wishes.
In a statement released today, the Miss America board said that Weidner would stay on for up to ninety days to facilitate a smooth transition to new leadership.
Update from the Board of Directors… pic.twitter.com/W8am9ii2fM
— Miss America HQ (@MissAmericaOrg) December 23, 2017
The statement continued:
“The board thanks Lynn and Sam for many tireless years of work for, and significant financial support to, both the Miss America Organisation and thousands of young women who received millions of dollars of educational scholarships from the Organisation as a direct result of their efforts.”
Pageant President Josh Randle and board member Tammy Haddad have also resigned.
