Miss America Organization Strips Licenses From Rebelling State Officials

The Miss America Organization has terminated the licenses of officials in charge of pageants in at least four states who had criticized the national leadership over bullying allegations, The Washington Post reports. The organization has also threatened at least 15 other states with probation and demanded explanations from state officials for why they joined calls for CEO Regina Hopper and director Gretchen Carlson to step down over the summer. Dozens of states had demanded the ouster of both Hopper and Carlson following bullying allegations from outgoing Miss America Cara Mund. Several of those states will now reportedly have to replace the officials who went against Hopper and Carlson if they want to keep their affiliation with the organization and the bank accounts with scholarship prize money. The organization reportedly thanked officials in other states who remained loyal to Hopper and Carlson during the scandal.