Miss America chief suspended over emails showing him mocking contestants

The CEO of the Miss America Organisation has been suspended after emails leaked allegedly showing him degrading and mocking contestants.

Fallout has been swift after the Huffington Post published emails in which Sam Haskell was said to have used crude language to deride former contestants, and to comment on their weight.

In a statement, the organisation’s board said it had voted to suspend Mr Haskell while it conducts “an indepth 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 any way possible,” the statement added.

Mr Haskell responded by saying the claims were “unkind and untrue”.

“The material is based on private emails that were stolen three years ago by ex-employees,” he wrote. “The story is so unkind and untrue, and hurts me, my family and the stewardship of this nonprofit.

“Those who know my heart know that this is not indicative of my character, nor is it indicative of my business acumen.”

A petition calling for Mr Haskell to resign, organised by former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth, had gathered nearly 50 signatures from former Miss Americas by mid-afternoon, according to The Washington Post.

“We are deeply disturbed and saddened to learn of the sickening and egregious words used by Miss America leadership,” the petition reportedly read. “We collectively call for their immediate resignation.”

A former contestant Mr Haskell was described as mocking, Mallory Hagan, said in a video posted to Twitter that she felt vindicated by the story.

“I’ve felt very strongly about these things last couple of years and just didn’t have any way to prove they were happening and now that I do have proof…just feels pretty validating,” she said.

Production company Dick Clark Productions severed ties in response to the report, saying in a statement the company had become aware of some of the emails referenced in the Huffington Post piece months earlier.

“We were appalled by their unacceptable content and insisted, in the strongest possible terms, that the Miss America Organisation (MAO) board of directors conduct a comprehensive investigation and take appropriate action to address the situation,” the statement said.