ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Former Miss America winners and state pageant officials are split over the leadership and direction of the organization, which was rocked by a 2017 email scandal that led to the resignations of its top leaders.
Representatives from 22 state pageants signed a petition calling for the resignations of the new Miss America board, including Chairwoman Gretchen Carlson and President and CEO Regina Hopper, The Press of Atlantic City reported Saturday.
But in a letter to the newspaper, 30 former Miss Americas said they “fully support” Carlson, Miss America 1989, and the board members “who are and have been working tirelessly to move our program forward.”
The shake-up at the organization has resulted in the top three positions being held by women, and the new leaders have begun making changes. The swimsuit competition has been dropped and in the evening-wear portion contestants will be allowed to wear something other than a gown if they want. The talent portion of the contest will remain.
The petition from the state pageant officials expressed a vote of “no confidence” in the Miss America Organization’s board of trustees. It cited a lack of transparency and adherence to best practices, The Press said.
“As dedicated members of our state and local communities who lend our reputations, financial support and voluntary efforts to facilitate MAO’s long and powerful mission of empowering women to stand up and speak out, we find ourselves needing to use our own voices of leadership to express our profound disappointment regarding what, in our view, is the failed leadership of the entire MAO Board of Trustees,” the petition said.
The former Miss Americas said in their letter Saturday that “We hope the voices of our majority can and will be heard.”
Hopper told The Press on Friday that “there are always those who disagree with or find it hard to accept change.” She said the organization welcomes “those who want to move forward and be a part of a revitalized program dedicated to providing scholarships and opportunities to all young women.”
Suzette Charles, Miss America 1984, said “things have begun to unravel” in the organization.
“There’s been a lot of dismay with (Carlson’s) leadership,” she said. “We thought she would regard this program with reverence and keep this tradition alive.”
The nationally televised Miss America broadcast is set for Sept. 9 on ABC.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less