Miss America suspends CEO over emails

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 wound 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, hours after 49 former Miss Americas signed a petition demanding the resignation of Haskell and other pageant officials.

“In addition, the board wishes to reaffirm our commitment to the education and empowerment of young women, supporting them in every way possible,” the statement read.

It did not indicate whether Haskell would be paid during his suspension. Haskell did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment.

The Huffington Post reported on the emails, including one that used a vulgar term for female genitalia to refer to past Miss America winners, one that wished that a particular former Miss America had died, and others that speculated about how many sex partners another former Miss America has had.

A petition organized by former Miss North Carolina Jennifer Vaden Barth garnered the signatures of the former Miss Americas.

It called the emails by Haskell and others “despicable” and faulted officials who “sat by without objection while such derisive comments were passed around.”

The emails already cost the pageant its television production partner and raised questions about the future of the nationally televised broadcast.

Dick Clark Productions told the AP on Thursday night that it had cut ties with the Miss America Organization over the emails.