Mean Girls Watch Your Back Again
For an organization based on women'south empowerment, the past one-half-decade has been marred with a disturbing number of controversies and scandals for the Miss America Organization (MAO). Amid rebranding and restructuring, the competition program has faced allegations of misogyny, leadership changes, revoked funding and accusations of bullying.
With a name similar Miss America, you would envision an organizational structure based on upholding the democratic standards of America. Unfortunately, events in recent years have put a much more tyrannical face on the organization, tarnishing its reputation. Let'south take a look at some of the hateful girls (and guys) causing some of the bug.
Sam Haskell Takes the Pageant Back to Atlantic City
Later but nine months, Mallory Hagan passed on the Miss America title in September 2013 because of schedule and location changes. In an electronic mail exchange betwixt Sam Haskell, the pageant CEO, and his daughter, Mary Lane, the ii expressed affection for Hagan.
Lane wrote, "Here's hoping you become another good one!" in reference to the upcoming Miss America 2014 circulate. Haskell replied, "It's going to be hard to supervene upon Mallory, but I'm hopeful!" Meanwhile, Haskell was hoping the director of development at his product company, Brent Adams, would pursue a relationship with his girl.
Haskell Turns on Hagan Because of Adams
While Mallory Hagan was the reigning Miss America, she spent fourth dimension at Haskell's home, where she met Brent Adams, who supervised about aspects of Haskell'due south concern and personal life. Fearing the impact a romantic relationship would take on their careers, they decided to appointment — simply not until after she passed on the crown.
Haskell was vocal virtually his disappointment with this development and tried to convince Adams to forget well-nigh Hagan proverb, "All of this tin be yours. You don't need a piece of trash similar Mallory. Y'all need someone with form and money similar my daughter."
Tammy Haddad Calls for Punishment of Dissenters
In May 2014, MAO lath member Tammy Haddad wrote an email to Haskell encouraging him to avert getting riled upwardly by former Miss America. She referred to them as a "pile of malcontents and has-beens who blame the plan for not getting them where they call up they can go."
She further commented, "80% of the winners do not have the class, smarts and model for success … You accept to let them become. You don't need them. They need you lot. We also accept to punish them when they don't appreciate what we do for them."
Kate Shindle Takes Shots at Sam Haskell
Meanwhile, in 2014, Kate Shindle wrote her memoir about her experiences every bit Miss America 1998. Titled Being Miss America, the volume was set up to exist released in September, and she pointedly targeted Haskell. She expressed her objections to his $500,000 salary, despite MAO operating at a deficit.
Shindle also accused Haskell of blacklisting anyone who disagreed with his leadership decisions. She declared that he would take the national system telephone call the state-level pageants with a list of people they were not allowed to associate with if they wanted to continue participating in Miss America.
Gretchen Carlson Stands Her Ground Against Haskell and Haddad
Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989, had a history of butting heads with Haskell and Haddad over her want to modernize the system and her refusal to attack contestants. In a 2014 electronic mail sent to one-time Miss Americas regarding Shindle's book, board member Lynn Weidner asked, "Is it possible for each of you to speak out in defense of Sam and the organization?"
Carlson's reply was, "It'south ane thing to talk most your own personal experience equally Miss America … but totally different to attack people individually." In response, Haddad replied privately to Haskell, "Serpent, merely now u take no doubts as to her loyalty."
Things Get Ugly and Words Are Said
In 2014, Haskell wrote an email to Lewis Friedman, writer of the Miss America telecast, requesting a script change: "Sharon [MAO President] and I have decided that when referring to a woman who was once Miss America, nosotros are no longer going to phone call her Forever Miss America … delight change all script re-create to reverberate that they are Former Miss Americas!"
Friedman replied, "I'd already changed "Forever" to [the C-word]. Does that work for you?" Haskell responded, "Perfect…bahahaha." Writing to Haskell, Friedman commented that Mallory was "preparing for her new career equally a blimp in the Macy'south Thanksgiving Parade."
Haddad Plots Against Carlson
Former Miss America Susan Powell replied to Weidner'south email with a supportive response. Haddad encouraged Haskell to use the email to badger Carlson. "Why don't you read Susan Powell'south email on the board phone call and say information technology'southward a shame that simply one Miss America has come up forrad to offer help in whatsoever way."
Carlson wasn't featured on the Miss America broadcast, which was unusual considering her prominence. Shortly after that, she resigned from the MAO lath, reportedly because Haskell and other board members were maligning her integrity and telling others she could not be trusted.
Lewis Friedman Has a Death Wish
In Dec 2014, onetime Miss America 1959, Mary Ann Mobley, passed away. Lewis Friedman sent an e-mail of condolence to Sam Haskell writing, "And then sorry to hear most Mary Ann Mobley." Sounds dainty, right? Except the subject line read: "It should have been Kate Shindle."
Haskell replied, "Thanks then much, Motorbus … even in my sadness, you can brand me laugh … how was the Kennedy Center Honors? Love you lot and capeesh you! Sam." Friedman was a long-time screenwriter for the Kennedy Center Honors and had earned two Emmy Laurels nominations for Outstanding Writing for his piece of work on them in 2010 and 2012.
Haskell & Company Grow More than Petty
Sam Haskell and other board members for the Miss America Organization continued to obsess over Mallory Hagan'due south relationship with Brent Adams in 2015. On January 25, Lynn Weidner sent a photograph of Hagan with iii other "formers" to Haskell. His response was, "OMG, she is huge … and gross … why does he want that?????"
He and then forwarded the email to time to come board COO and President Josh Randle and other MAO board members along with the comment, "Look at MH in this photo … OMG … Why does he desire that?" Tammy Haddad replied, "Mallory is barely recognizable."
Sam Haskell, Bully or Victim?
By the cease of 2015, Haskell was feeling "viciously and cruelly" attacked by Hagan on a daily basis and wrote an e-mail to Haddad, Weidner and others asking for help. Haddad replied, "I am and so sorry. It is ridiculous, only she is non going to terminate. She has no control. I call back y'all should hire an investigator to get something on her."
Haskell responded, "Threatening her won't work, and we already have 'enough info on her' to shut downwardly Ft. Knox … I really think the all-time mode is to close down her social media and convince the Formers to ostracize her."
Weidner Incriminates Herself in a Demolition Plot
While it is unclear how Mallory Hagan was allegedly attacking Sam Haskell, Tammy Haddad called them "inflammatory graphic symbol attacks." Lynn Weidner referenced cyberbullying in her Dec electronic mail response to the grouping.
"I wish I had an easy answer to this dilemma. If we can show a direct connexion between MH and specific instances of cyberbullying, we could at least threaten her with a lawsuit, right? I do believe that our anti-coaching initiatives are already impacting her business and that our policy of ignoring her is driving her crazy!"
Ending Hagan's Career
It appears that the national Miss America Organization established a policy against the use of coaches to directly target Hagan'due south business. After her reign, Hagan was working in New York as a pageant coach for the interview portion of the contest.
The national system informed contestants that they would need approval from their local and state pageant directors to use a coach. Those pageant directors were so given an breezy list of banned coaches that included Mallory Hagan'south proper name on information technology. Earlier long, her business concern stale up, and she had to return home to Alabama.
Whistleblowers or Insurrection Strategists
In August 2017, former Haskell employee, Brent Adams, and former MAO lath member, Regina Hopper, decided to arroyo Dick Clark Productions with the previously cited emails. Dick Clark Production execs, Amy Thurlow and Mark Bracco, who besides held seats on the Miss America board, met with the duo and thanked them for the emails and started their own investigation.
Thurlow and Bracco approached the board with the emails expecting decisive action, but they were met with ambivalence. Lewis Friedman remained the writer of the Miss America pageant telecast that September.
Failure to Act
Instead of taking action regarding the derogatory emails, the Miss America Organization had their law firm nowadays Brent Adams with a finish-and-desist letter: "Your deliberate deportment constitute a clear violation of the Not-Disclosure Understanding yous knowingly and willfully entered into … the alphabetic character directed to the Chairman of the Board of Dick Clark Productions, dated September 13, 2017, noticed the states of your illegal disclosure of information, which includes several internal email communications."
Refusing to be silenced, Adams and Hopper decided to contact the media with their testify. This led to the story breaking on HuffPost in Dec.
Dick Clark Productions Deals a Crippling Blow
Meanwhile, Dick Clark Productions was disgusted by the MAO board's determination to support Haskell and Friedman and decided to end their agreement with the organization. In a statement issued to HuffPost, the company stated:
"Several months ago, Dick Clark Productions was made aware of a portion of the emails. We were appalled by their unacceptable content and insisted, in the strongest possible terms, that the Miss America Arrangement board of directors deport a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate activeness to address the situation. Shortly thereafter, we resigned our board positions and notified MAO that we were terminating our relationship with them."
The Blow Out and Backlash
In the aftermath of the leaked electronic mail scandal, Miss North Carolina 1991, Jennifer Vaden Barth, started a petition calling for the resignation of all lath members involved in the bloodcurdling behavior. Mallory Hagan along with more than forty one-time Miss Americas signed it.
Haskell was promptly placed on interruption awaiting an investigation, and within days, Haddad and Haskell resigned, effective immediately. Josh Randle and Lynn Weidner voluntarily resigned from their positions every bit President and Chairman, respectively, but agreed to remain for upwardly to 90 days to assist with the leadership transition.
Haskell's Concluding Defense
Haskell defended himself: "Much of what was reported is quack, deceptive and despicable. The material is based on private emails that were stolen … The story is then unkind and untrue and hurts me, my family unit and the stewardship of this non-profit. I was under stress from a total year of attacks by two Miss Americas…"
"This was not the CEO of an organization laughing at inappropriate jokes. This was a begetter whose family unit was being attacked, and a man whose character was being assassinated daily, and that impaired my judgment when responding to the inappropriate emails. For that, I deeply apologize."
Caressa Cameron Speaks Out
Former Miss Americas, such as Caressa Cameron who was crowned in 2010, noted that the organization'southward bug were a lack of respect and leadership and not language. Cameron revealed that just thirty days into her reign, she experienced issues with Haskell.
When she wanted to invite her previous double-decker to her homecoming party, she recalled, "Sam Haskell said I was non to invite her. She could not come up. He basically threw a temper tantrum, and then he didn't come." She was also prevented from participating in events related to her HIV/AIDS prevention platform.
Gretchen Carlson Seizes an Opportunity
Among the most vocal of the former Miss Americas, Gretchen Carlson and Kate Shindle both fabricated themselves targets of Haskell and company's attacks. Both took to Twitter to call for a "thorough housecleaning of the board."
A growing consensus wanted Carlson and Shindle to take the helm and run the MAO. Carlson was elected Chairwoman of the Board of Directors on January i, 2018. Old titleholders filled the remaining lath openings on an interim basis while Carlson was supposed to conduct a national search for the new CEO.
Regina Hopper Gets Her Style
On May 17, 2018, a new form of scandal hit when Gretchen Carlson installed Regina Hopper, 1 of the email whistleblowers, as President and CEO of the Miss America Arrangement. Country organizations and former Miss Americas were upset that a national search had non been conducted, equally Gretchen promised. In effect, a leadership coup had occurred within the organisation.
As role of the restructuring, Carlson pushed for a Miss America ii.0 that would no longer exist a pageant but a scholarship "contest," featuring "candidates" instead of contestants. She likewise removed the swimsuit contest from the plan.
Pushing People Out
Virtually one-half of the 9-person MAO board was pushed to resign subsequently fewer than six months in the position. Former winners Kate Shindle and Laura Kaeppeler Fleiss resigned in June, citing "toxic culture" every bit the reason behind their departure.
The previously signed resignation messages from their interim roles were used against Sometime Miss Due north Carolina, Jennifer Vaden Barth, and Former Miss Maine, Valerie Crooker Clemens, to strength their resignations. They reported to The Wall Street Periodical that Carlson issued a letter stating they were trying to proceeds command of the organization in order to forcefulness them out.
The Bikini Has to Go
While the swimsuit contest had long been a sticking point for pageant protestors, many felt that removing it in light of the #MeToo movement was a cop-out. Miss South Carolina 2011, who has recovered from an eating disorder she developed during her competition days, said:
"I think the Miss America Organization could have done something a little bit different and embraced people of all shapes and sizes. To me, taking it away completely says, 'If you lot're non that size, yous don't belong in a swimsuit.' We have to change people's mindsets and allow them know women are beautiful at all shapes and sizes."
A Scholarship Competition Without Scholarship Funds
In the weeks leading up to Miss America 2019 (held in September 2018), Miss America 1991, Marjorie Vincent Tripp, resigned every bit head of the Miss America Foundation. In role, she fabricated the decision because she claimed the scholarship money awarded to Miss America was the foundation's responsibility.
The problem with that is 15 land directors reported their winners were refusing to sign the contest contract considering of the clause that says scholarship money is "contingent upon availability of funds in any given year." Miss America 1984, Suzette Charles, said, "It's a joke. You can keep any game testify and win more than what Miss America is offer."
Cara Mund'due south Slip of the Tongue
In July, Miss America 2018, Cara Mund, made a comment at a New Jersey Dairy Queen appearance: "It's been a tough year. In that location have been a lot of things I can't control. It has felt like I wasn't ever heard or utilized or appreciated."
She claims she was notified within 72 hours of her penalization for speaking out. "I was told my final farewell as Miss America would be cut to a total of thirty seconds for the national telecast." She went on to write a alphabetic character revealing the torment and bullying she suffered at the hands of Carlson, Hopper and Adams.
Cara Peels Back the Drape
In her letter to past contestants, Cara Mund asserted that "new leadership delivered an important message. In that location will be only one Miss America at a time, and she isn't me." Instead, Gretchen Carlson would be the focus of all Mund's public talking points, including the claim that the "#MeToo movement started with Carlson'south lawsuit."
The movement actually started with Tarana Burke in 2006 and was boosted to viral status in 2017 by Alyssa Milano. Past the end of her reign, Mund was but allowed to post on her own personal social media sites. MAO posted for her on all Miss America accounts.
Blaming the Victim
The system responded to Mund's claims by saying she had opportunities to requite her opinion and manage her ain social media accounts. However, they as well issued the statement, "Information technology is disappointing that she chose to air her grievances publicly, not privately."
In a Twitter response, Carlson denied the accusations of bullying and blamed Mund'due south letter for costing the system a $75,000 scholarship. An independent external review attributed "miscommunications and mixed letters" equally the heart of the problems between Mund and MAO: "Communications surrounding branding, clothing and appearance were less than clear and created confusion and frustration."
The States Enhance Objections
Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, along with xix other state pageant organizations, called for the resignations of Regina Hopper and Gretchen Carlson as well as the unabridged board in a vote of "no confidence" for "lack of transparency and adherence to best practices."
Amongst their allegations were claims that leadership lied when they said ABC would not telecast the competition unless the swimsuit program was eliminated. Land directors also objected to the contract clause that gave Hopper the unilateral right to "crusade any state titleholder to forfeit her state championship" without due process or the right to entreatment.
Ruling with an Iron Fist
With the revolt of state organizations and a GoFundMe page started by Jennifer Vaden Barth to enhance funds to legally supervene upon the board, the Miss America Organization took decisive action, retaliating in a shocking manner past swiftly terminating the licenses of 7 states.
The states cut off included Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee. The terminations required them to supervene upon their current leadership and plow scholarship bank accounts over to the Miss America System. They also began threatening 15 other state organizations with probation and were quick to praise the states that were yet supporting the current MAO leadership.
Doubling Down on Poor Word Choices
A September 2019 press release for a new scholarship doubled-down on the swimsuit controversy by stating, "In reaching out to the Miss America Organization, the donor made clear the important reason for the generous souvenir. Equally a young adult female who wanted to compete in a local Miss America competition in the 1980s, she was discouraged past her parents because they believed 'Miss America does not look similar us, and an educated adult female does not parade around in a swimsuit.'"
Cara Mund responded via Instagram, "Female empowerment doesn't mean insulting, alienating and discrediting the thousands of women who paved the way." Seize with teeth the manus that feeds you much, Cara?
Gretchen Carlson Resigns
After securing a new network partnership with NBC, Gretchen Carlson resigned from her position as board chairwoman in June 2019. She stated, "The fourth dimension is platonic to requite new leadership the opportunity to motility forward with what has been accomplished."
Carlson was replaced by former Southward Dakota secretarial assistant of state Shantel Krebs with chaser Brenda Keith serving as vice-chair. Afterwards instituting new leadership in the terminated state organizations, all 50 states, plus D.C., were eligible to compete in the 2020 competition on December 19, 2019. The swimsuit and evening gown portions of the event are still not part of the competition.
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