Organizers of the Miss San Antonio pageant said Wednesday they have set aside the contest's disputed crown until a judge rules who should get it — ousted beauty queen Domonique Ramirez or her runner-up, Ashley Dixon.
At a news conference, the Miss Bexar County Organization Inc., which holds the annual pageant under the Miss San Antonio banner, took the opportunity to introduce Dixon, 21, as “Miss San Antonio First Runner-Up.”
On Monday, the organization had declared her Miss San Antonio after stripping Ramirez, 17, of the title because of alleged insubordination.
The sudden change back to Dixon's prior status was in response to a temporary restraining order also issued Monday, when Ramirez sued the organization, board president Linda Woods said.
Pending a Feb. 16 hearing, state District Judge Larry Noll ordered it to “immediately withdraw its revocation of (Ramirez's) reign as Miss San Antonio 2011, and ... to cease and desist from continuing to promote Ashley Dixon as Miss San Antonio 2011.”
“We are going to continue to fulfill the obligations for the organization,” while preparing for the Miss Texas pageant, Woods said. “And whoever the court says is deemed fit to go, then that will be the candidate that will be going and attending.”
“I feel like I am taking my rightful position as the first runner-up to Miss San Antonio,” Dixon said in brief remarks. “That's the only position I'm taking until I get further word.”
Dixon, a sophomore studying liberal arts at St. Philip's College, wants to study marine biology at a four-year university and find a cure for gangrene. She sang a few soothing bars from Natalie Cole's “Inseparable” to show off her talents.
It was more of a test for poise than any contestant at last year's pageant could have imagined would come her way, given the dispute that erupted this week, the stream of accusations about what caused it and the national attention it drew.
Woods said the matter was not a racial issue — Ramirez said the same thing Tuesday.
Woods said Ramirez's “weight was never an issue.” Ramirez — who has pointed out she is 5 feet, 81/2 inches tall and weighs 129 pounds — has said her weight was part of the organization's escalating harassment of her that began in November.
Ramirez had several violations of her contract, including failure to show up on time or at all to scheduled appearances and failure to “to represent herself as befitting a queen” by taking part in a bridal fashion show last month, Woods said.
That appearance was not approved by the organization, Woods said, contradicting the bridal show's organizer, Lari Nelson, who has said Woods' organization told her Ramirez either could be introduced as Miss San Antonio or could model in the event, but not both.
Woods modeled without Miss San Antonio being mentioned, Nelson said.
Read more about Domonique Ramirez may Lose her Crown
At a news conference, the Miss Bexar County Organization Inc., which holds the annual pageant under the Miss San Antonio banner, took the opportunity to introduce Dixon, 21, as “Miss San Antonio First Runner-Up.”
On Monday, the organization had declared her Miss San Antonio after stripping Ramirez, 17, of the title because of alleged insubordination.
The sudden change back to Dixon's prior status was in response to a temporary restraining order also issued Monday, when Ramirez sued the organization, board president Linda Woods said.
Pending a Feb. 16 hearing, state District Judge Larry Noll ordered it to “immediately withdraw its revocation of (Ramirez's) reign as Miss San Antonio 2011, and ... to cease and desist from continuing to promote Ashley Dixon as Miss San Antonio 2011.”
“We are going to continue to fulfill the obligations for the organization,” while preparing for the Miss Texas pageant, Woods said. “And whoever the court says is deemed fit to go, then that will be the candidate that will be going and attending.”
“I feel like I am taking my rightful position as the first runner-up to Miss San Antonio,” Dixon said in brief remarks. “That's the only position I'm taking until I get further word.”
Dixon, a sophomore studying liberal arts at St. Philip's College, wants to study marine biology at a four-year university and find a cure for gangrene. She sang a few soothing bars from Natalie Cole's “Inseparable” to show off her talents.
It was more of a test for poise than any contestant at last year's pageant could have imagined would come her way, given the dispute that erupted this week, the stream of accusations about what caused it and the national attention it drew.
Woods said the matter was not a racial issue — Ramirez said the same thing Tuesday.
Woods said Ramirez's “weight was never an issue.” Ramirez — who has pointed out she is 5 feet, 81/2 inches tall and weighs 129 pounds — has said her weight was part of the organization's escalating harassment of her that began in November.
Ramirez had several violations of her contract, including failure to show up on time or at all to scheduled appearances and failure to “to represent herself as befitting a queen” by taking part in a bridal fashion show last month, Woods said.
That appearance was not approved by the organization, Woods said, contradicting the bridal show's organizer, Lari Nelson, who has said Woods' organization told her Ramirez either could be introduced as Miss San Antonio or could model in the event, but not both.
Woods modeled without Miss San Antonio being mentioned, Nelson said.
Read more about Domonique Ramirez may Lose her Crown
