«I feel like we are taking the organization back.»
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On Friday, leaked emails surfaced shedding light on the way certain pageant executives talked about contestants and former Miss Americas behind the scenes.
Some of the leaked comments were so disturbing that 49 former Miss Americas joined forces on social media to call for resignations from several executives, including CEO Sam Haskell.
The New York Post reported:
The Miss America board accepted Haskell’s resignation “effective immediately,” HuffPo reported.
Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan — who was the object of crude sex gossip by Haskell and other pageant executives — learned of Haskell’s departure while she was speaking to a New York Post reporter on Saturday afternoon.
Hagan credited the sudden changes at the top of the organization to pressure by Miss American winners — 49 of whom called for Haskell’s resignation.
“I feel like collectively, the Miss Americas are badass!” Hagan told the Post. “Don’t mess with a group of empowered women!”
According to HuffPost, in addition to Haskell, President Josh Randle and board chairman Lynn Weidner have also resigned, with Weidner staying on for 90 days to ease the transition to new leadership.
Hagan, who was crowned in 2013, felt vindicated: «Wow. I feel like we are taking the organization back. For the longest time all these things were being said about us, when this is our organization. Our face is on the forefront. We deserve for it to be run the way it should be.”
