Jury: Pageant breached Texas beauty queen contract ("Peyton Place" with racial undertones?)

Houston Chronicle ^ | March 24, 2011 | AP

[Cincinatus' Wife]

SAN ANTONIO — A Texas jury ruled Thursday that a 17-year-old beauty queen allegedly told to “get off the tacos” after gaining weight was wrongly stripped of her crown and has had it returned by a judge.

...Judge Barbara Nellermoe then restored Ramirez’s crown, clearing the way for her to compete for Miss Texas and Miss America, according Court Clerk Grace Montalvo. After deliberating 11.5 hours over two days in the weeklong trial, the Bexar County jury of five men and seven women found that pageant officials, not Ramirez, breached the contract.

“It’s a sad day for us. We think the judge and jury made a huge mistake,” pageant director Linda Woods said...

Consequently, Woods said she would not personally promote or support Ramirez in her bid for Miss Texas.

“I’m sorry, there’s no way I would represent her as talent. She’s trouble,” Woods said.

[snip]

Ramirez denied gaining weight or being late.

[snip]

There was no immediate word on what would become of Ashley Dixon [Runner-up crowned Miss San Antonio]...

Immediately after the trial, Ramirez went to Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church to place the crown on its altar as a gift to the patroness.

“She’s the queen of all queens, the keeper of all crowns. I wanted to give my crown to her,” Ramirez said, adding that she could buy a replacement crown for the upcoming Fiesta and Miss Texas appearances that go with the title. “I just wanted to send a message I’m very grateful and she has answered my prayers.”

Asked if she had any advice to other young women, Ramirez cautioned them to always carefully read any contract they sign and, she added jokingly: “Don’t go eating tacos in the morning.”

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Holding a copy of her Miss San Antonio contract, former Miss San Antonio Domonique Ramirez testifies in the Bexar County 45th District Court on Monday, March 21, 2011. Ramirez is suing the Miss Bexar County Organization, Inc., in an attempt to regain her title.

Ashley Dixon, 21, smiles at a news conference held Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2011. The Miss San Antonio Organization stripped Domonique Ramirez of her crown for insubordination and has named Dixon Miss San Antonio First Runner-Up. On the left is Linda Woods, President of the Miss San Antonio Organization.

More Photos

Our Lady of Guadalupe

[UCFRoadWarrior]

The Business Socialists may disagree with me, but the pageant officials did have a weak case. Outside of the innuendos and name-calling....it seems their case was weak to begin with. Unless there was a specific “fat clause” in the pageant rules...their case was weak from the beginning

[clee1]

And now... a word from our sponsors!

WHO CARES?????

The Pageant Business is an out-and-out fraud anyway.

[Cowboy Bob]

While Ramirez is not bad looking, I think Dixon, the Runner-up, is a pig

I guess "beauty contests" are no longer about good looks...

[R. Scott]

Miss Dixon appears heavier than Miss Ramirez.

[TSgt]

“Don’t go eating tacos in the morning.”

This could mean a lot of different things. ;-)

[stevem]

If that picture of Ramirez was taken post-tacos, I’d say the tacos did her no harm whatsoever.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Naughty, naughty....

We can't disparage protected minority groups. According to Attorney General Eric Holder, only groups covered under the 1964 Civil Rights Voting Act can be plaintiffs.

I see a real clash between Hispanics and Blacks looming on the horizon.

There was a story in one of the Chicago papers a short while back were a black man attacked (killed?) a Hispanic man, and stated he did it because of the man's race. Was there a mention of a "hate crime" in the story. No.

Now Eric Holder comes out with his pronouncement on whose civil rights will be protected by law and whites were not on it. I get the feeling Hispanics are waking up to the fact that they aren't either -- but the Dems want their vote.

If Hispanic want to realize the same fate as inner city Blacks, then they should vote Democratic.

If the Hispanic and Black communities want to join the America Exceptional Dream Team, they must vote conservative.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

WHO CARES?????

Because it's about more than a pageant.

[NoControllingLegalAuthority]

This is a classic example of a Pyrrhic victory.

A Pyrrhic victory is one gained at such devastating cost, the victor has jeopardized her long-term survival.

The term originates with King Pyrrhus of Epirus who successfully defeated the Romans at Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC. These "victories" were gained at such great cost to his army, King Pyrrhus was known to have said, "One more victory like this and I shall return to Epirus alone."

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Did you read the recent story about the young man who gave up a chance at a wrestling scholarship because he refused to wrestle a young girl?

Sometimes you make a necessary point when you stand up to authority. Sometimes it takes young people to remind old people.

[IamConservative]

I heard this on Fox News Radio driving in to work. It made me reflect on the state of our judiciary. Surely we have more important issues litigate..

[dangus]

What was the opposite quote from Bunker Hill, where the Americans lost the battle but inflicted such heavy losses on the British?

[Jack Hammer]

On a purely personal note, I’d hit either one of ‘em in a New York minute...

[healy61]

When a case is properly brought before a court, it becomes the business of the day. Everyone has a right to a day in court.

[Cincinatus' Wife]

Yes. They both are beautiful women.

But this pageant kerfuffle is a subplot of a lot of what's good and bad in the country.

Good -- that you can aspire to achieve something that will springboard you to a better education and improve your lot through diligence and personal gifts, as Rush says -- "On loan from God."

Good and Bad -- that politics and personalities play such a big role (as they do in ALL walks of life). But these challenges are life's lessons and the way you rise to face them says something about your mettle, as well as helping you to grow.

Bad -- that people running many of these American "institutions" are corrupted by power, money and influence (the Olympics is another example of this).

[Jack Hammer]

Yes - good insights; thank you.

[Travis McGee]

[Dr. Ursus]

I hope one of the prizes was a gym membership!