Inside the Miss Illinois pageant

Posted: Jun 08, 2016 11:14 AMUpdated: Jun 09, 2016 11:26 AM

By Amy Fox

CONNECT

 

WSIL -- Next week, young women from across the state will be in Marion for the 2016 Miss Illinois pageant. But bringing the event back to southern Illinois has been no easy task. The last year has been full of controversy, heartache and new beginnings.

It starts as a dream for dozens of young women throughout the state.

"I had wanted to be Miss Illinois from the time I was a little girl," said Crystal Davis, Miss Illinois 2015.

But, at the end of the night, only one contestant walks away with the crown and a trip to the Miss America pageant.

Miss Illinois 2014 Marisa Buchheit said, "Initially, it was a very exciting whirlwind. I was thrilled. My parents couldn't have been happier."

Those feelings of joy and happiness quickly changed for Buchheit after she was crowned.

"You really never know what you're getting into until you're there," said Buchheit. 

It didn't take long for Buchheit to clash with the pageant's chairman Amalia Schwerdtmann. Buchheit says her leadership style was controlling.  

"For me and my family, it became an issue within the first 3 or 4 months of my reign," said Buchheit. 

For years, Schwerdtmann served as the executive director for the Miss Illinois pageant. In 2011, she became the board chairman, turning over her old position to Jane Ann Cruse, a retired teacher from Marion. 

"I did take on the face of the executive director, and I did take on the job responsibilities, but not all of them," said Cruse. 

When the state licensing agreement was up in 2013, the by-laws were rewritten by Schwerdtmann.

Cruse said, "The chairman of the board was written as a position that really had all of the control and power in the organization."

As part of the new rules, the executive director was not allowed to serve on the board.

"I do believe some of the decisions were not from a board vote. They were from a board chairman action," said Cruse. 

And, Buchheit took notice.

"I felt as though the board was not working in my best interest. It was as if they just, you know, didn't really care about the sake of the women involved," said Buchheit. 

And this is just one of the many complaints about the pageant's leadership.

In the spring of 2015, a petition was created on Change.org to remove Schwerdtmann.

Cruse said, "I began to see that it was a pattern. It wasn't just one young lady or one family or one incident, it was just something that repeated over and over again, and I became very very concerned."

The petition generated more than 200 comments from parents, pageant directors, and past title holders from all across the state. All of the posts describe negative experiences with Schwerdtmann. Some even calling her "a tyrant" and "a criminal." 

This petition caught the attention of the Miss America Organization.

In June of 2015, Marc Angeli, the Vice President of Field Operations for the Miss America Organization, made a stop in Marion during pageant week.

Through a series of private meetings with past title holders, Angeli investigated years of complaints filed against the Miss Illinois Organization. 

The following week, Schwerdtmann and her team received letters in the mail, explaining the termination of the state license agreement.

Cruse said, "I had some mixed emotions, but I also knew that the organization was probably not going to survive if this didn't happen."

The letter cites multiple violations against the Miss Illinois Organization, including unfair treatment of contestants and failing to carry out the standards of the Miss America Organization.

"I felt as if I had done my job and try to prevent any future instances like this from happening," said Buchheit. 

Just weeks after the termination letters were mailed out, Schwerdtmann filed a lawsuit against the Miss America Organization.

According to court documents, the Miss Illinois Scholarship Association claims the City of Marion withheld nearly $70,000 in tickets sales from the 2015 pageant after the state's licensing agreement was terminated.

In December, the case entered arbitration. Marion city officials tell News 3 the money was turned over to the Cook County Court.

According to the Cook County Circuit Clerk's Office, all court dates scheduled after December 15 were canceled.

In a statement, Jack Plackter, the attorney representing the Miss America Organization, says a settlement agreement has been reached with the Illinois Scholarship Association.

Buchheit said, "I think my family and I were just glad that this era had ended."

News 3 reached out to Amalia Schwerdtmann for comment, but she never responded. 

http://www.wsiltv.com/story/32173780/inside-the-miss-illinois-pageant