Miss America CEO, president, chair resign over email scandal

Miss America Organization CEO Sam Haskell and other top executives have resigned after backlash over an email shaming scandal that targeted past pageant winners for abuse based on their appearance, intellect and sex lives.

President Josh Randle and Board chair Lynn Weidner have also tendered their resignations, reported the Huffington Post.

"This afternoon, the Board of Directors of the Miss America Organization accepted the resignation of Executive Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Sam Haskell, effective immediately," the board in a statement said.

Dan Meyers has stepped into the role of interim chairman.

According to the Hill, Haskell, who was first suspended on Friday after the Huffington Post published emails between him and organization officials that referred to Miss America contestants in derogatory terms, said that the emails had been "selectively edited."

He clarified that he wrote them "under stress of a full year of attacks by two Miss Americas."

-ANI