The Miss America Organization board of directors has voted to suspend Sam Haskell as CEO after his vulgar emails about contestants were revealed.
- Dec 23, 2017
AceShowbiz - Miss America CEO Sam Haskell has been suspended following the revelation of his vulgar emails that were filled with misogynistic, fat-shaming and slut-shaming language about contestants. The Miss America Organization board of directors made the decision on Friday, December 22, a day after HuffPost published the emails.
"The Miss America Organization Board of Directors today voted to suspend Executive Chairman and CEO Sam Haskell. Mr. Haskell, in support of the organization, has agreed to abide by the Board's decision," a spokesperson for the organization said in a statement. "The Board will be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained. In addition, the Board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible."
In the emails reported by HuffPost, Haskell fat-shamed former Miss America Mallory Hagan, who won the pageant in 2013, joked about referring to prior winners as "c**ts" and also laughed at an email suggesting one of the winners should die. Emails also suggested that Haskell, Miss America President Josh Randle, board Chair Lynn Weidner and board member Tammy Haddad tried to destroy one winner's business as an interview coach to prospective Miss America contestants.
Responding to the claims, Haskell called them "unkind and untrue," though he didn't specify which part of the story run by HuffPost which he said was untrue. He also claimed he was "under attack" for a year by two former Miss Americas, and the stress of that badly affected his judgment. Haskell, however, admitted that "my mistake was a mistake of words."
Following the revelation, 49 former Miss Americas called for Haskell, Randle, Weidner and Haddad to resign. In a letter, the former Miss Americas said they're "deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the sickening and egregious words used by Miss America leadership in reference both to our group and to specific members of our sisterhood."
"As dedicated members of communities, businesses and families, and ambassadors for the Miss America program across the country, we stand firmly against harassment, bullying and shaming-especially of women-through the use of derogatory terms meant to belittle and demean," they added. "As Miss Americas, we strongly reject the mischaracterizations of us both collectively and individually. We also reject the ongoing efforts to divide our sisterhood and the attempts to pit us against one another."
Meanwhile, Haddad has resigned after the publication of the emails, saying that "the women who put their hopes and dreams into this program are the best of America."
