Former Miss USA employees describe ‘living in fear’ dealing with leadership’s ‘bullying and harassment’ WFTV [Video]

Former members of the Miss USA Organization blasted its leadership this week, claiming president and CEO Laylah Rose created a toxic work environment that is responsible for the high-profile exodus at the organization behind one of the country’s longest-running pageants.

Noelia Voigt, who resigned as Miss USA on Monday, wrote in a scathing, eight-page resignation letter obtained by Yahoo News that the “stress, instability and lack of support” she received from Rose “greatly impacted my physical health.” Excerpts of the letter were first published by NBC News on Thursday.

“I am experiencing heart palpitations, full body shakes, loss of appetite, unintentional weight loss, loss of sleep, loss of hair and more,” she wrote.

Voigt cited Rose’s leadership style and a pattern of abusive behavior as the reasons she stepped down. A number of the accusations against Rose were corroborated to Yahoo News by former Miss USA social media director Claudia Engelhardt. (In previous reports, …