Local pageant directors react to Miss America’s bullying claims

August 20, 2018 Mandy Hrach

JACKSON, Tenn. — The Miss Tennessee Organization is making sure bullying does not happen here after this year’s Miss America made a complaint.

Reigning Miss America Cara Mund of North Dakota says she’s been bullied and silenced by the pageants current leadership.

“They silenced her and they bullied her. It’s a shame,” CEO of the Miss Tennessee Pageant Tom Hensley said.

“It’s been coming and building for some time.”

Mund wrote a letter to former Miss Americas, saying she felt silenced by chairwoman Gretchen Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper.

“They’ve hijacked the Miss America program,” Hensley said.

Hensley says his pageant does not stand by those values.

“We know what we’re doing here. If they kick us out, they kick us out,” he said.

President of the Miss Tennessee Pageant Jimmy Exum also stands by Cara Mund.

He says it’s possible Tennessee won’t participate in Miss America next year.

“We would like to stay in the program, but not under these circumstances,” Exum said.

While the future is uncertain for the Miss America Organization, Exum says the Miss Tennessee pageant will continue.

“We don’t think what they are trying to do, is where Miss America needs to be,” he said.

Mund says some examples of bullying include not receiving proper air time for some interviews , a supervisor said her name wrong and she is not allowed to freely use the Miss America Social Media accounts like past contestants.

The letter comes just months after the organization announced the elimination of the swimsuit competition.

https://www.wbbjtv.com/2018/08/20/local-pageant-directors-react-to-miss-americas-bullying-claims/