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My daughter recently participated in the USA National Miss New Jersey Pageant in September of 2012. She place second runner-up. She beat the winner in both runway and interview and two of the four judges gave her the higher score in evening wear. She had a 4 point lead over the winner, but lose by a 1/2 a point, because the one judge deducted 5 points, because she didn't like the print of her dress. Since she was so close and lose over a fashion choice and not because of her performance, we decided to inquire about her competing in another state and we were told that she could receive an appointed title. This is a title were you pay for your national fees and your issued a crown and sash with your title and you are added to the list of contestant for nationals. Well after conversing with the pageant's state director Gina Saratino, for over two months my daughter's fees were paid in full 495.00, plus $50.00 for processing. She was giving the title of Miss Central New Jersey Princess. I have written documentation that support my story. My daughter's coach was than notified by the national director Jackie Watson that this was a mistake and only 1st runner ups could be appointed queens. Mind you Ms. Watson was the one who approved her title in the first place. My eight year old daughter and I had already made an announcement to our close family and friends that she had been appointed this title. We also had been invited by the state director to participate in several charity events with other state queens and we committed to local events as well. Ms. Jackie Watson the national director has wrongful taken away my daughter's title. It is not our fault that she made an error. She is the director, so she should know her own rules. It is an embarrassment to my daughter and our family to have to tell local charities that we are unable to commit to an event, because her title was taken away. She is eight years old and has worked for many organizations like Autism Speaks and she was heart broken by this news. My daughter’s coach pleaded with Ms. Watson to reconsider what she would be doing. A promise was made not only in words, but in writing. You can’t just go back on you word, especially when you are affecting the life of an eight year old child. Ms. Jackie Watson used the excuse that there pageant is fairly new, but ignorance is not an excuse. Bottom line a promise was made in writing and should be kept. Also I was told that my money had been reimbursed, but it took about 4 to 5 business days for it to actually show up. It was a complete waste of time and money to have gone through this. My daughter could have been competing and being involved in other pageants instead being falsely lead on by the directors of USA National Miss. She was told well holding this title she could not commit to any other system. This is a very unorganized pageant system. Ms. Jackie Watson the national director received emails from the coach asking her to no longer contact us and she has called my phone at least several times and leaving messages harassing me. I don’t care if you are upset stop calling my home and leaving messages. We have asked you not too, but once again you don’t care how your actions affect others and you have no respect for people households. USA National Miss is a bad pageant system and Jackie Watson is a terrible, rude and unorganized director. I suggest you look else where for you daughters. These people give all the good pageants a bad name.
P.S. My daughter is now a state title holder for another prestigious system that has been established almost twenty years. She is preparing for nationals in July. She has raised over a thousand dollars for Autism Speaks this fall and has participated in many local charity events and has an acting career. So USA National Miss lost big time, but it's not about that it's about the principal. Just, because my daughter has found success doesn't mean you get a free pass. You still need to be held accountable for your actions, period. We have spoken with an attorney and are considering our options for small claims court.
Nothing to hide here. Below is a copy of all the written correspondence regarding this matter (read from the bottom up). I addressed the child as Ms. Harmony's "daughter" five times in a string of emails before she told me that she was not the mother, but the coach and godmother. I then called her as I didn't know if she meant to type grandmother instead of godmother, and I was unsure if she was a relative or simply a third party outsider. Upon learning she was not related to the child during our phone conversation, I sent one last correspondence letting her know that I would need to speak to the parents to resolve the issue. I was not at the New Jersey state pageant therefore am not familiar with the contestants or their parents as there is a state director in that state. The issue of Ms. Harmony not letting me know initially that she was not the parent is irrelevent at this point. I simply pointed that out to indicate why I contacted the parents in a good faith effort to speak to them and resolve the issue. No calls were ever returned, and no attempt to discuss this issue with our organization was made prior to this complaint being filed. I wish all the best for the child and have no doubt she will be very successful in her pageant endeavors.
Follow Up
From
• Usa national Miss
To
• topangaharmony@yahoo.com
Ms. Harmony,
I wanted to recap our phone conversation, in writing, from this morning. While I do understand your frustration that there was miscommunciation and confusion as to who is eligible to compete at nationals after competing in the state pageant, I am still hoping you can understand our organization's commitment to not compromising our system's integrity by bending the rules and allowing your client to compete at nationals when she is clearly not eligible. Until our phone conversation, I was unaware that you were not the girl's mother or even a relative, and would very much like to speak to the parent regarding this situation rather than a third-party outsider, as the parent or legal guardian is whom we need to be discussing this matter with as they are the only ones who can make decisions or claims on behalf of their child and would give authorization for the child to compete in the first place. Can you provide me with the name and phone number of the parents? I do not feel comfortable discussing this matter with anyone other than the parents, therefore, this will be my last communication with you.
I am touched that you feel so strongly to have your client participate in our system, and as I mentioned on the phone, it is very unfortunate that there was a miscommunciation between you, the state director, and myself in this matter. I look forward to receiving the name and phone number of the girl's parents so that I can discuss this matter with them further.
Regards,
Jackie B. Watson
National Executive Director
USA National Miss Scholarship Organization
www.UsaNationalMiss.com
Re: To Jackie Watson
From
• Usa national Miss
To
• Topanga Harmony
I will be happy to speak with you, and will call you shortly. However, I would like to say that our rules will not be altered in any way.
Jackie B. Watson
National Executive Director
USA National Miss Scholarship Organization
www.UsaNationalMiss.com
From: Topanga Harmony
To: Usa national Miss
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 9:52 AM
Subject: Re: To Jackie Watson
I am Mirelis coach and godmother. Gina and I have been having this conversation for months now and have emailed each other back and forward. Her family has invested themselves into her gaining an appointed title. She has invested in this as well. Bottomline a promise was made to us and the miscommunication between the two directors should not effect Mirelis. If a promise has been made in writing then it should be honored and that is what intergrity is. This is a new pageant and now your directors have an understanding they will know for the next time, but she should be allowed to compete. She is the most caring child I know. Even during competition people made comments about how kind she is. She is the last person that deserved this. Mirelis should not be pernalized for your mistake. I would like to speak with, [protected] is my number, please give me a call. We are all busy people, so please don't use that as an excuse for not calling thank you.
From: Usa national Miss
To: Topanga Harmony
Cc: "newjersey@usanationalmiss.com"
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 9:00 AM
Subject: Re: To Jackie Watson
I am so sorry that this situation has caused any distress for you and your daughter. That is definitely not my intention, and I apologize profusely for the inconvenience caused by my confusion. In states with a state pageant, if a girl competes at state the only way to attend nationals is to win the state title, or be a runner up or win an optional title. We have this rule in place, to build the state program and maintain the integrity and importance of competing in your state. There is no other way for someone who has competed in the state pageant to attend nationals. If we allowed everyone from the state pageant to compete at nationals, then winning the state title would lose its value. I am sure you can understand this. We only allow girls to represent the state that they live in, so she would not be eligible to represent a different state.
I am thoroughly convinced that your daughter would be a great asset to our organization and I don't want her to feel like she is being rejected in any way - that is not the case. She is exactly the type of girl that we look for at USA National Miss. We simply have to follow our rules in order to maintain the integrity of our system. As I stated before, we would love to have her come back and compete at the state pageant next year and the national office will pay her state entry fee. She is young, and I can foresee a wonderful future for her with our system. We would love to have her be a part of our pageant family, but we have to do it the right way. I am sure you can understand that.
I sincerely apologize for the confusion and inconvenience and hope that you will appreciate the fact that we are an organization that stands by our guidelines and standards of competition. I hope to see your daughter at the state pageant next year!
Jackie B. Watson
National Executive Director
USA National Miss Scholarship Organization
http://www.usanationalmiss.com/
From: Topanga Harmony
To: Usa national Miss
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 5:02 PM
Subject: Re: To Jackie Watson
I wanted to find out if maybe she can compete in either New York or PA or appoint a state that doesn't have a competition? I am very frustrated by this, because we have invested time and energy just getting the sponsorship money. Mirelis is going to be heart broken by this. That competition was incredibly close and she lost by a half point. She beat the winner in both interview and in runway and two of the judges gave her the higher score in evening gown. One judge didn't like the print on her gown and took off 7 points. I think she would be a great addition to the national competition. We had already started making plans for nationals. There must be some kind of resolution. Mirelis is an ambassador for Autism Speaks and has audition this Saturday for the Disney channel. She would be a amazing addition. She doesn't deserve this and I am not going to let her suffer another heart it isn't fair to her. Please give me a call, I'm sure one of the other states would be happy to have her.
From: Usa national Miss
To: Topanga Harmony
Cc: "newjersey@usanationalmiss.com"
Sent: Wednesday, November 28, 2012 3:48 PM
Subject: Re: To Jackie Watson
Topanga,
Thanks for your email. I am sorry if I misunderstood Gina, but the appointed titles in New Jersey are only for those who were a runner up or optional winner at the state pageant. Since there is a state pageant in your state, in which your daughter participated, she is not eligible for an appointed title unless she won an optional award or placed as a runner up. If a girl competes at the state pageant, she is only eligible to compete at nationals if she wins the age division title, an optional award, or is named as a runner up. I am so sorry for the confusion. I am reimbursing your paypal fees that you paid to us. We would love to have your daughter compete at the New Jersey state pageant next year and will be happy to provide you a discount on entry fees, paid by the national office, for your inconvenience.
Regards,
Jackie B. Watson
National Executive Director
USA National Miss Scholarship Organization
http://www.usanationalmiss.com/
From: Topanga Harmony
To: "info@usanationalmiss.com" ; "usanationalmiss@yahoo.com"
Sent: Monday, November 26, 2012 6:31 PM
Subject: To Jackie Watson
Hello, my name is Topanga Harmony. I spoke with Gina and she confirmed that the title of Miss Central New Jersey Princess would be the appointed title for Mirelis Villegas. The $50.00 registration fee and sponsorship payment of $495.00 have been paid in full. If you have any questions or need any information, you may contact me at [protected].
Thank You
To USA National Miss: I am a former competitor and I had never heard of your pageant. So I look it up and it's fairly new. You only have 1 state pageant competition so far. If you are making these kind of mistake now, you'll never be on the level of NAMISS, Miss America etc. They have hundreds of girls competing in almost every state. Had you paid better attention and been more organized, you would not be going through this now. Also, you mentioned that you worked for a law firm. Working for a law firm and/or being a lawyer are two very different things. Your excusing this person of deceiving you or pretending they are some else. Did you not ask who you were speaking to and their relation to the child? Did you or the state director not know who this person was? If the answer is no, you may want to reconsider your profession. This person denies they deceived you and says they have physical evidence to support their story, do you? If you had knowledge like this coach or whoever said, you can be sued for Defamation of Character. Particularly if your excusations have an affect over this person's business or reputation. You are treading thin water.
From: Topanga Harmony
To: Usa national Miss
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 9:52 AM
Subject: Re: To Jackie Watson
I am Mirelis coach and godmother. Gina and I have been having this conversation for months now and have emailed each other back and forward. Her family has invested themselves into her gaining an appointed title. She has invested in this as well. Bottomline a promise was made to us and the miscommunication between the two directors should not effect Mirelis. If a promise has been made in writing then it should be honored and that is what intergrity is. This is a new pageant and now your directors have an understanding they will know for the next time, but she should be allowed to compete. She is the most caring child I know. Even during competition people made comments about how kind she is. She is the last person that deserved this. Mirelis should not be pernalized for your mistake. I would like to speak with, 609 xxx -xxxx is my number, please give me a call. We are all busy people, so please don't use that as an excuse for not calling thank you.
That was the email in which I clearly state I was not the mother. Also your state director knew I was the coach. I had parents asking about my services during your state competition. I never pretended to be a parent or misled anyone to believe I was anyone, but a pageant coach, so thats a lie. Ms. Watson you are a very unorganized individual and you are also a dishonest one. I have the email in which I tell you that I am her coach and godparent. Also when you called me I then again repeated that I was her coach and not her mother and gave you her mother's information. I told you we would make a complaint to the BBB and also on the board and we did. You apparently thought we were bluffing, but unlike you, we keep our word. Also you stated that you left two messages, You did, and they were very angry and upsetting messages. You also left these messages after I asked you not to contact us. Once again you prove your inabilities to run any business and your lack of respect for others. If someone ask you not to do something and you do it anyway that's harrassment. If you are told through email and verbally that someone is not a child's parent and you still lie and say you didn't know, then you should not be running a business. Particularly one with children involved. I will be forwarding every email conversation that I had with you and Gina to the BBB, so they can see that you are not being truthful. You are out done, and you hate the idea that someone is calling you out for your lack of integrity. If there is one thng I can't stand, it's dishonest people and thats what your are Ms. Watson. At the end of the day we have it all in written and thats the proof. Mire is now a state title holder and is going to nationals in July. You and your organization were a complete waste of time, but I hope that by this being online that parents will think twice before involving their children in your system. We have been blessed many times over since this experience and I am thankful for that and we will continue to be successful. I have been a mentor and teacher for many years and I have seen organization and pageant systems come and go. I have seen families being taken advantage of and misled. It's very sad, because you have the power to positively impact so many lives, but you choose to make your success the dishonet way. Good luck with that...
When I was originally contacted regarding this complaint, I assumed I was being contacted by the mother of the contestant. However, I later found out that even though during our correspondence I repeatedly referred to the contestant as “your daughter”, it was the contestant’s “coach” that had been communicating with me about this issue and pretending to be the mother. That is why I contacted you (the mom) and left two voicemails asking for you to return the call so I could discuss the matter with the appropriate person. As I work at a law firm, I can assure you that leaving a voicemail asking for a return phone call is not “harassment.” I have tried to contact you, so that I could speak to the proper person regarding this issue, which is the right thing to do. It is not appropriate for me to discuss this issue with anyone other than a parent – not a third party outsider such as a coach pretending to be the parent. That would be unprofessional to discuss a personal matter regarding a minor child with someone who is not the legal parent.
I will start by saying that your daughter did not win, nor did she place first runner up as you have acknowledged. All good pageants, organizations and businesses have rules, procedures and guidelines in place to maintain integrity and order. Our rule is that only the winner and first runner up at a state pageant are eligible to attend nationals. We have this rule to maintain the integrity of our state pageants. When I was first approached about your daughter’s appointed title, I was under the impression that she was the first runner up – which I have admitted was my mistake and misunderstanding. Upon learning that she was NOT the first runner up and therefore ineligible to compete at nationals, I apologized for the misunderstanding, explained our rules, and promptly refunded the money the same day. I also offered for your daughter to compete at the state pageant next year at NO COST. At no point was your daughter ever awarded a crown or sash with the appointed title, therefore, nothing was taken away from her. The money was refunded the same day through Paypal (please refer your complaint to Paypal if they took 4-5 days to reimburse your funds into your account as that has nothing to do with our office.)
As I explained to the “coach” and would have explained to you had I been given the opportunity to speak to you directly, it is very unfortunate that a misunderstanding on my part caused any disappointment to your daughter. USA National Miss did everything properly and honorably after learning of the mishap. We apologized for the misunderstanding, refunded the money, offered to pay your daughter’s state fees, and attempted to contact you, the legal parent of the contestant – instead of talking to a third party outsider. However, the facts remain that we are an organization founded upon the highest level of integrity and because we are founded on integrity we will not bend our rules, and I will not apologize for being an organization that stands on integrity. It would be unethical for us to give special treatment to your daughter by breaking our rules for her, while maintaining the rules for the rest of the contestants. That is not the way USA National Miss operates. We are one of the fastest growing national pageants in the country because we do everything with a high level of standards, excellence, fairness and integrity and are unwilling to compromise those values, as you were asking us to do.
I am hoping you can appreciate our stance to continue being a pageant based on this high level of fairness. Had your daughter won the state title, you would not be happy if other girls who competed against her were allowed to attend nationals even though our rules clearly state that only the winner and first runner up can do so.
In closing, USA National Miss does not have anything in our possession that belongs to you: all money was returned promptly, we have made a good faith effort to resolve the situation with the appropriate legal guardian, and have offered compensation for the misunderstanding by way of offering free entry to the state pageant, which was refused. May you govern your actions accordingly.