Miss America CEO suspended over 'inappropriate' leaked emails
The Miss America Organization CEO, Sam Haskell, has been suspended over leaked emails that mocked pageant contestants.
In a statement, the organisation said it would be conducting "an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications [by Mr Haskell]".
The emails reportedly include vulgar references to past winners and comments about their sex lives.
Former contestants have criticised the "appalling" revelations.
Mr Haskell has apologised for some of the emails, but claims the original story by the Huffington Post was "dishonest, deceptive and despicable".
Publishing its statement on Twitter, the Miss America Organization said Mr Haskell had agreed to the suspension.
Skip Twitter post by @MissAmericaOrg
Statement from the Miss America Organization Board of Directors: pic.twitter.com/sd91CwJGhc
— Miss America Org (@MissAmericaOrg) December 23, 2017
Report
End of Twitter post by @MissAmericaOrg
The Huffington Post published the alleged contents of three years of emails between Mr Haskell and other pageant officials.
The internal emails, which the BBC has not seen, are reported to have included name-calling, slut-shaming and fat-shaming of some of the contestants who had taken part in the pageant.
The revelations caused Dick Clark Productions, their television sponsor, to cut ties with the long-standing pageant.
Dick Clark Productions said in a statement on Friday they had been made aware of the emails "several months ago" and were "appalled by their unacceptable content".
Skip Twitter post by @AlyssaFromDE
Not a single girl in the #MissAmerica class of 2013 has a single negative thing to say about @ItsMalloryHagan …we have a LOT of negative things to say about Sam Haskell though…? ☕️? ? #FireSamHaskell
— Alyssa Murray (@AlyssaFromDE) December 22, 2017
Report
End of Twitter post by @AlyssaFromDE
Some 49 former Miss Americas signed an open letter demanding the resignation of Mr Haskell, as well as the organisation's president and board chair.
A former Miss America winner, Mallory Hagan, who was mocked in some of the emails said she "wasn't shocked, but [felt] validated by the emails".
"For the longest time, I've tried to explain to people around me that this is happening or these things are being said," the winner of the 2013 pageant told NBC.
Gretchen Carlson, a former Miss America and a television presenter, said the alleged emails contained "disgusting statements about women" and "vulgar slurs".
Skip Twitter post by @GretchenCarlson
"As a proud former Miss America & former member of Board, I’m deeply saddened by disgusting statements about women attributed to leadership of MAO. No woman should be demeaned with such vulgar slurs. As I’ve learned, harassment and shaming of women is never acceptable” https://t.co/4lCYl77OUN
— Gretchen Carlson (@GretchenCarlson) December 22, 2017
Report
End of Twitter post by @GretchenCarlson
In a statement, Mr Haskell said he had been "under stress from a full year of attacks by two Miss Americas, and while I don't ever want to offer an excuse, I do want to offer context".
But he also said the original story was "vicious" with "conveniently edited emails".
