A new petition has been started by Miss America 2013 Mallory Hagan to stop the current Miss America board members from remaining in their positions of power. This includes the controversial decision to remove former Miss Americas who stood by Sam Haskell when he made knowingly vulgar comments about past winners and they stood by him, complicit.
All board members that stood by Sam Haskell need to go, was a statement adamantly reiterated in the petition.
The message rings loud and clear, "If people truly care about the program and its empowerment of women, then it must be a full turnover."
Mallory Hagan addressed the issue to viewers on Wednesday night via a Facebook Live video and relayed the turn of events, revealing former CEO Sam Haskell is still pulling the strings. In other words, a puppet leadership in the guise of a committee is being formed.
Instead of the current board gracefully stepping down, they are electing to appoint their own new leadership, while still having ties to the source of the problem. Mallory Hagan remarked it was insulting, and she wasn't born yesterday.
So hear this, fans and allies if you will, of Miss America: the committee is only being formed to appease and mitigate those on the side of resistance while a real power play is going down. The Miss America Organization sacrificed their lucrative partnership with Dick Clark Productions in efforts to save their own hide, essentially. They said nothing for 24 hours and got caught, but thought they could weather the storm.
"I am the storm," Mallory told viewers in her video and pointedly looking at the camera to capture the attention of the board. "You're not weathering it."
Former Miss Americas are speaking out once again on this issue including state, local, and former Miss Americas against the current remaining board and calling for their removal.
Please listen. Speak out. Make your voice heard.
Many Forever Miss Americas reported that their careers had been stalled or derailed post the crown. Betty Cantrell had spoken out on her Instagram live video stating that numerous career opportunities had been sabotaged by the Miss America leadership, as well as Teresa Scanlan. Mallory Hagan was ostracized in the pageant community when she started her pageant coaching business.
According to recent developments, many people have come forward with information that they were not allowed to associate or told not to have contact with Mallory Hagan, including personnel from the Miss Nebraska Organization.
Ostracism has indeed shamefully run rampant under the current form of leadership, from the local to the executive level.
Once again, this is a call to action to not only create change but to demand it. All board members complicit in Sam Haskell and the executive leadership's behaviour need to be removed. A shadow leadership is not what Miss America needs in this dire hour.
To support this petition, and the women affected by this polarizing leadership, please follow the link and sign here: PETITION
By: Natalie McGovern
No comments
Post a Comment