Miss North Carolina USA was stripped of her crown weeks before the Miss USA pageant after organizers cited an extended pattern of conduct violating the organization's standards.
Miss USA Chairman Thom Brodeur did not specify what conduct prompted the decision to take the crown away from Brittany Boltinhouse but said in a statement that the organization "does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity," adding the conduct occurred "over an extended period of time."
The decision ends Boltinhouse's reign just weeks after she won the state title and less than three weeks before she was scheduled to represent North Carolina at the 75th annual Miss USA pageant on Aug. 27.
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Myla Hadley, the first runner-up in the state competition, will now represent North Carolina on the national stage "with our full confidence and our support," Brodeur said in a statement.
Brodeur said the decision was made in consultation with Boltinhouse, her state directors and the Miss USA organization. He added that while the organization has a "zero tolerance" standard for conduct, accountability "is not permission to strip someone of their humanity."
"There is a young woman at the center of this," Brodeur said. "She has been named, examined, and judged in public in a way that most of us would not survive, and she is still a human being with a family, a future, and a life ahead of her that is longer than this part of her journey."
"I have never believed that accountability requires cruelty, or that holding a line means enjoying the fall of the person who crossed it," he continued.
Brodeur said Boltinhouse plans to issue her own statement to speak to the matter "in her own voice." The chairman said he has reviewed her statement and described it as showing "ownership, accountability and apology."
"I believe people can change," Brodeur said. "Change is not a statement. It is a record. It is built over time, in the open, through conduct rather than apology alone."
Fox News Digital has reached out to Boltinhouse for comment.
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State pageant organizer A Blaize Productions similarly announced the decision after what they described as a "thorough review of recently surfaced information" but did not elaborate on the nature of the allegations.
"We ask our pageant family, supporters, and the public to extend kindness and respect to both Brittany and Myla during this transition," the organization said in a statement. "Moments like these are never easy for anyone involved, and we remain committed to treating everyone with dignity while continuing our mission of empowering the next generation of women leaders."
Hadley acknowledged the abrupt transition in a social media post, saying she understands "the seriousness and level of prestige that this title carries."
"While this may seem like a two-week turnaround given the circumstances, I've been preparing to represent at Miss USA since I first competed with this organization," Hadley wrote. "I am ready to represent North Carolina."
