Miss America chief executive urged to quit over email scandal
Written by News on 23/12/2017
Former Miss Americas are calling on the beauty pageant’s leadership to resign after emails were published containing disparaging comments about them.
The messages were sent from and to chief executive Sam Haskell.
They have already cost the organisation its television partner.
In the emails, the appearance and sex life of Miss America 2013, Mallory Hagan, were mocked.
Following the death of another Miss America, a former writer on the show said he wished it had been 1998 winner Kate Shindle instead. In his response to that message, Mr Haskell indicated it had made him laugh.
In addition, Mr Haskell wrote about tactics that would drive 1989 winner Gretchen Carlson “insane”.
The Huffington Post, which said it had got the emails from two sources, reported that Ms Carlson had clashed with Mr Haskell and other pageant officials over her desire to modernise the organisation.
Ms Shindle, who has written a book which is critical of the Miss America Organisation, said on Twitter: “The entire board of directors must immediately resign, including and especially Sam Haskell.”
The content of the emails made her “physically ill”, she added.
“No woman should be demeaned with such vulgar slurs,” Ms Carlson said.
And in her response, Ms Hagan said that “having somebody bully you, demean you, degrade you in any way is not OK”.
She hoped the emails’ publication would “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”.
The Miss America Organisation said Mr Haskell had apologised and that it is revising its communication policies.
It added that it considered the matter closed.
But there is a question mark over the pageant’s future on TV.
It is broadcast from Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall the week after Labor Day each year.
Dick Clark Productions told the AP news agency it had cut its ties with the organisation after the emails’ publication, saying it found their content “appalling”.
(c) Sky News 2017: Miss America chief executive urged to quit over email scandal
