Atlantic City, N.J. • The Miss America Organization suspended its CEO on Friday, less than 24 hours after leaked emails surfaced showing him and others disparaging the appearance, intellect and sex lives of former Miss Americas.
Sam Haskell will remain suspended for an indefinite period while the organization investigates the content of the emails, their distribution within the organization, and how they came to wind up in the possession of the Huffington Post, which published them on Thursday.
“The board will be conducting an in-depth investigation into alleged inappropriate communications and the nature in which they were obtained,” the group said in a statement issued Friday evening, hours after 49 former Miss Americas signed a petition demanding the resignation of Haskell and other pageant officials.