OSHKOSH - Miss Oshkosh 2011 has been stripped of her crown. Nineteen-year-old VeiJzahn Knight plead no contest to shoplifting this summer. Pageant officials took the title away soon after. It is the first time a Miss Oshkosh has ever lost the title.
Clarence Knight describes the night his daughter won Miss Oshkosh as one of his proudest moments.
“After she won it, I guess I was the happiest fellow on the planet,” said Clarence Knight.
VeiJzahn Knight is the first black woman to win the Miss Oshkosh Pageant in its 47 years. She is now also the first Miss Oshkosh to lose her title.
“The role of Miss Oshkosh or any local queen is as a role model in the individual community,” said Michael Schmal, Miss Wisconsin Field Director.
Schmal says Knight lost that image when she shop lifted from Walmart. According to a police report, Knight was caught on camera taking more than $100 worth of cosmetics and Hello Kitty merchandise from the store last July.
The report goes on to say Knight and a friend did it because "The idea was to see how much they could steal from the store." Schmal says Knight refused to retire the title willingly, and if the organization didn’t take the crown away from her, it could hurt the future of the pageant.
“People begin to question the integrity of the program,” said Schmal.
A decision Knight's father says he doesn't think was right.
“I think it was to save face of the organization, they weren't thinking about this child,” said Clarence Knight. “I'm very disappointed but I still stand on the fact that I know I got a decent young lady. I know I raised her properly.”
VeiJzahn Knight would not go on camera, but Clarence Knight says his daughter is sorry for what she did.
“She's just as human as everybody else of making human mistakes.
Meanwhile, pageant officials say they're sorry it came to this too, but the decision is final.
“There's no animosity whatsoever. It's an unfortunate incident and it's time to move on, allow the community to heal, allow VeiJzahn to heal,” said Schmal.
First runner-up Kelsey McDaniels has been named the new Miss Oshkosh. She is scheduled to be presented with her crown, sash and scholarship Oct. 25.
Poster Comment:
I guess the white-guilters in Oshkosh won't make that mistake again.....