What Do You Do When a Girl Says She Just Wants to Be Friends
For an organization based on women's empowerment, the past one-half-decade has been marred with a disturbing number of controversies and scandals for the Miss America Arrangement (MAO). Amid rebranding and restructuring, the competition program has faced allegations of misogyny, leadership changes, revoked funding and accusations of bullying.
With a proper name like 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. Permit's take a wait at some of the mean girls (and guys) causing some of the problems.
Sam Haskell Takes the Pageant Back to Atlantic City
After just 9 months, Mallory Hagan passed on the Miss America championship in September 2013 considering of schedule and location changes. In an email commutation between Sam Haskell, the pageant CEO, and his girl, Mary Lane, the ii expressed affection for Hagan.
Lane wrote, "Here'due south hoping you get another practiced ane!" in reference to the upcoming Miss America 2014 broadcast. Haskell replied, "It'due south going to be hard to supplant Mallory, but I'1000 hopeful!" Meanwhile, Haskell was hoping the director of development at his production company, Brent Adams, would pursue a relationship with his daughter.
Haskell Turns on Hagan Because of Adams
While Mallory Hagan was the reigning Miss America, she spent time at Haskell's home, where she met Brent Adams, who supervised most aspects of Haskell's business and personal life. Fearing the impact a romantic human relationship would take on their careers, they decided to date — only not until later on she passed on the crown.
Haskell was vocal about his thwarting with this evolution and tried to convince Adams to forget about Hagan saying, "All of this tin can be yours. You don't need a piece of trash similar Mallory. Y'all need someone with class and money like my daughter."
Tammy Haddad Calls for Punishment of Dissenters
In May 2014, MAO board member Tammy Haddad wrote an email to Haskell encouraging him to avoid getting riled up by former Miss America. She referred to them every bit a "pile of malcontents and has-beens who arraign the program for not getting them where they think they can go."
She further commented, "lxxx% of the winners practice not have the form, smarts and model for success … Yous have to let them go. You don't need them. They need you. We also have to punish them when they don't appreciate what we exercise for them."
Kate Shindle Takes Shots at Sam Haskell
Meanwhile, in 2014, Kate Shindle wrote her memoir about her experiences as Miss America 1998. Titled Being Miss America, the volume was fix to be released in September, and she pointedly targeted Haskell. She expressed her objections to his $500,000 salary, despite MAO operating at a arrears.
Shindle too accused Haskell of blacklisting anyone who disagreed with his leadership decisions. She alleged that he would take the national organization call the country-level pageants with a list of people they were non allowed to associate with if they wanted to proceed participating in Miss America.
Gretchen Carlson Stands Her Ground Confronting Haskell and Haddad
Gretchen Carlson, Miss America 1989, had a history of butting heads with Haskell and Haddad over her desire to modernize the arrangement and her refusal to assault contestants. In a 2014 email sent to former 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's one thing to talk most your ain personal feel as Miss America … simply totally dissimilar to assault people individually." In response, Haddad replied privately to Haskell, "Snake, but now u have no doubts as to her loyalty."
Things Get Ugly and Words Are Said
In 2014, Haskell wrote an e-mail 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, we are no longer going to call her Forever Miss America … delight change all script copy 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 stuffed in the Macy's Thanksgiving Parade."
Haddad Plots Confronting Carlson
One-time Miss America Susan Powell replied to Weidner's email with a supportive response. Haddad encouraged Haskell to employ the email to badger Carlson. "Why don't you lot read Susan Powell's email on the lath call and say it's a shame that only one Miss America has come frontwards to offer aid in any fashion."
Carlson wasn't featured on the Miss America circulate, which was unusual because her prominence. Shortly later on that, she resigned from the MAO lath, reportedly because Haskell and other board members were maligning her integrity and telling others she could non be trusted.
Lewis Friedman Has a Expiry Wish
In December 2014, one-time 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 about Mary Ann Mobley." Sounds nice, correct? Except the subject line read: "It should accept been Kate Shindle."
Haskell replied, "Thanks and so much, Autobus … even in my sadness, you tin can make me laugh … how was the Kennedy Centre Honors? Love you and appreciate you! Sam." Friedman was a long-time screenwriter for the Kennedy Heart Honors and had earned 2 Emmy Honor nominations for Outstanding Writing for his work on them in 2010 and 2012.
Haskell & Company Grow More than Trivial
Sam Haskell and other lath members for the Miss America Organization continued to obsess over Mallory Hagan's relationship with Brent Adams in 2015. On January 25, Lynn Weidner sent a photo of Hagan with three other "formers" to Haskell. His response was, "OMG, she is huge … and gross … why does he want that?????"
He then forwarded the email to future 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 end of 2015, Haskell was feeling "viciously and cruelly" attacked past Hagan on a daily basis and wrote an electronic mail to Haddad, Weidner and others request for assist. Haddad replied, "I am and then distressing. It is ridiculous, but she is not going to cease. She has no control. I call up you should hire an investigator to get something on her."
Haskell responded, "Threatening her won't piece of work, and we already have 'enough info on her' to shut down Ft. Knox … I really think the best way is to shut down her social media and convince the Formers to ostracize her."
Weidner Incriminates Herself in a Sabotage Plot
While it is unclear how Mallory Hagan was allegedly attacking Sam Haskell, Tammy Haddad called them "inflammatory grapheme attacks." Lynn Weidner referenced cyberbullying in her December email response to the group.
"I wish I had an easy answer to this dilemma. If we can prove a direct connectedness betwixt 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 concern 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's business. Afterwards her reign, Hagan was working in New York as a pageant coach for the interview portion of the competition.
The national organization informed contestants that they would need approval from their local and land pageant directors to employ a motorbus. Those pageant directors were then given an informal listing of banned coaches that included Mallory Hagan's name on information technology. Soon, her business concern dried up, and she had to return home to Alabama.
Whistleblowers or Coup Strategists
In August 2017, sometime Haskell employee, Brent Adams, and former MAO lath member, Regina Hopper, decided to approach Dick Clark Productions with the previously cited emails. Dick Clark Product execs, Amy Thurlow and Mark Bracco, who also 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 lath with the emails expecting decisive action, simply they were met with ambivalence. Lewis Friedman remained the author 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 end-and-desist letter: "Your deliberate deportment constitute a clear violation of the Non-Disclosure Agreement you knowingly and willfully entered into … the letter directed to the Chairman of the Board of Dick Clark Productions, dated September 13, 2017, noticed us 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 show. 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 decision to back up 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 enlightened 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 lath of directors conduct a comprehensive investigation and have appropriate activeness to address the situation. Shortly thereafter, nosotros resigned our board positions and notified MAO that we were terminating our relationship with them."
The Blow Out and Backlash
In the backwash of the leaked electronic mail scandal, Miss Northward Carolina 1991, Jennifer Vaden Barth, started a petition calling for the resignation of all lath members involved in the appalling behavior. Mallory Hagan along with more than twoscore former Miss Americas signed it.
Haskell was promptly placed on suspension pending an investigation, and inside days, Haddad and Haskell resigned, effective immediately. Josh Randle and Lynn Weidner voluntarily resigned from their positions as President and Chairman, respectively, but agreed to remain for up to 90 days to assist with the leadership transition.
Haskell's Terminal Defense
Haskell dedicated himself: "Much of what was reported is dishonest, deceptive and despicable. The material is based on private emails that were stolen … The story is and so 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 organisation laughing at inappropriate jokes. This was a male parent whose family unit was being attacked, and a man whose graphic symbol was beingness assassinated daily, and that impaired my judgment when responding to the inappropriate emails. For that, I deeply repent."
Caressa Cameron Speaks Out
Former Miss Americas, such equally Caressa Cameron who was crowned in 2010, noted that the organization's problems were a lack of respect and leadership and not language. Cameron revealed that just thirty days into her reign, she experienced problems with Haskell.
When she wanted to invite her previous coach to her homecoming party, she recalled, "Sam Haskell said I was non to invite her. She could not come. He basically threw a temper tantrum, and so he didn't come." She was too prevented from participating in events related to her HIV/AIDS prevention platform.
Gretchen Carlson Seizes an Opportunity
Amongst the most vocal of the onetime Miss Americas, Gretchen Carlson and Kate Shindle both made themselves targets of Haskell and company'southward attacks. Both took to Twitter to phone 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 Jan 1, 2018. Former titleholders filled the remaining board openings on an interim basis while Carlson was supposed to behave a national search for the new CEO.
Regina Hopper Gets Her Way
On May 17, 2018, a new form of scandal hit when Gretchen Carlson installed Regina Hopper, one of the email whistleblowers, as President and CEO of the Miss America Organisation. State organizations and sometime Miss Americas were upset that a national search had not been conducted, every bit Gretchen promised. In effect, a leadership insurrection had occurred within the organization.
Every bit part of the restructuring, Carlson pushed for a Miss America ii.0 that would no longer be a pageant only a scholarship "competition," featuring "candidates" instead of contestants. She also removed the swimsuit competition from the program.
Pushing People Out
Nearly half of the nine-person MAO board was pushed to resign afterwards fewer than half-dozen months in the position. Former winners Kate Shindle and Laura Kaeppeler Fleiss resigned in June, citing "toxic culture" equally the reason behind their departure.
The previously signed resignation letters from their acting roles were used confronting Former Miss N Carolina, Jennifer Vaden Barth, and Former Miss Maine, Valerie Crooker Clemens, to force their resignations. They reported to The Wall Street Journal that Carlson issued a letter stating they were trying to gain control of the organisation in social club to force them out.
The Bikini Has to Get
While the swimsuit competition 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 call back the Miss America Organization could accept washed something a picayune bit unlike and embraced people of all shapes and sizes. To me, taking it away completely says, 'If yous're non that size, you don't belong in a swimsuit.' We have to alter 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 equally head of the Miss America Foundation. In role, she made the conclusion because she claimed the scholarship money awarded to Miss America was the foundation'due south responsibility.
The problem with that is 15 state directors reported their winners were refusing to sign the competition contract because of the clause that says scholarship coin is "contingent upon availability of funds in any given year." Miss America 1984, Suzette Charles, said, "Information technology's a joke. You lot can continue any game testify and win more than than what Miss America is offering."
Cara Mund's Slip of the Tongue
In July, Miss America 2018, Cara Mund, fabricated a comment at a New Jersey Dairy Queen appearance: "It's been a tough year. There have been a lot of things I can't control. It has felt like I wasn't always heard or utilized or appreciated."
She claims she was notified within 72 hours of her punishment for speaking out. "I was told my terminal farewell equally Miss America would be cutting to a total of 30 seconds for the national telecast." She went on to write a letter revealing the torment and bullying she suffered at the hands of Carlson, Hopper and Adams.
Cara Peels Back the Curtain
In her letter to past contestants, Cara Mund asserted that "new leadership delivered an of import message. There will be only 1 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's lawsuit."
The movement actually started with Tarana Burke in 2006 and was additional to viral status in 2017 past Alyssa Milano. Past the end of her reign, Mund was just allowed to postal service on her ain personal social media sites. MAO posted for her on all Miss America accounts.
Blaming the Victim
The organization responded to Mund'due south claims past proverb she had opportunities to give her stance and manage her own social media accounts. However, they likewise issued the statement, "It 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'southward letter for costing the organization a $75,000 scholarship. An independent external review attributed "miscommunications and mixed messages" as the heart of the issues between Mund and MAO: "Communications surrounding branding, clothing and appearance were less than articulate and created confusion and frustration."
The States Enhance Objections
Pennsylvania, New York and New Jersey, along with 19 other land pageant organizations, called for the resignations of Regina Hopper and Gretchen Carlson as well every bit the entire board in a vote of "no confidence" for "lack of transparency and adherence to best practices."
Among their allegations were claims that leadership lied when they said ABC would not telecast the competition unless the swimsuit program was eliminated. State directors too objected to the contract clause that gave Hopper the unilateral right to "cause whatever land titleholder to forfeit her state title" without due procedure or the right to appeal.
Ruling with an Iron Fist
With the revolt of country organizations and a GoFundMe page started by Jennifer Vaden Barth to enhance funds to legally supplant the board, the Miss America Organization took decisive action, retaliating in a shocking manner by swiftly terminating the licenses of seven states.
United states of america cutting off included Georgia, New Jersey, New York and Tennessee. The terminations required them to replace their current leadership and plough scholarship banking concern accounts over to the Miss America Organization. They also began threatening 15 other country organizations with probation and were quick to praise the states that were still supporting the current MAO leadership.
Doubling Down on Poor Word Choices
A September 2019 press release for a new scholarship doubled-downwards on the swimsuit controversy by stating, "In reaching out to the Miss America Organization, the donor made clear the important reason for the generous gift. As a young woman who wanted to compete in a local Miss America competition in the 1980s, she was discouraged by her parents considering they believed 'Miss America does not look like us, and an educated woman 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 style." Seize with teeth the hand that feeds y'all much, Cara?
Gretchen Carlson Resigns
Afterward securing a new network partnership with NBC, Gretchen Carlson resigned from her position as board chairwoman in June 2019. She stated, "The time is ideal to give new leadership the opportunity to move forward with what has been accomplished."
Carlson was replaced by former South Dakota secretarial assistant of country Shantel Krebs with attorney Brenda Keith serving as vice-chair. Later on instituting new leadership in the terminated state organizations, all 50 states, plus D.C., were eligible to compete in the 2020 competition on December nineteen, 2019. The swimsuit and evening gown portions of the event are however not office of the competition.
Source: https://www.faqtoids.com/knowledge/mean-girls-and-boys-behind-miss-america-organization?utm_content=params%3Ao%3D740006%26ad%3DdirN%26qo%3DserpIndex
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