Former Miss California Carrie Prejean goes to court: Miss California lawsuits and counter suits

Photos of Carrie Prejean © Kathryn E. Darden

Carrie Prejean Files Lawsuit Against Miss California Organization; Pageant Retaliates

Keith Lewis and the Miss California organization have grabbed another 15 minutes of fame by announcing they are filing a claim against Carrie Prejean. After former Miss California Carrie Prejean filed a discrimination lawsuit against the Miss California organization in August, California pageant officials retaliated by filing a counter suit claiming the former Miss California owes them $5,200 for breast enhancement surgery.

Carrie Prejean Files Discrimination & Slander Charges

The 22-year-old Christian author, entertainer and former beauty pageant contestant filed a complaint the end of August in Los Angeles Superior Court against K2 Productions (the franchise that operates the Miss California Organization), the co-executive directors Keith Lewis and Shanna Moakler, and publicist Roger Neal. Prejean's lawsuit stated that the Miss California organization not only discriminated against Carrie Prejean's religious beliefs but that they also caused her emotional distress by engaging in slander and invading her privacy by disclosing private medical information when they revealed details about her breast augmentation to the media.

"People Need to Know the Truth"

Prejean's lawyer Charles S Limandri said in a statement to Fox News, "Over the past two months we have worked hard to provide overwhelming evidence that Carrie Prejean did not violate her contract with Miss California USA and did not deserve to have her title revoked by Keith Lewis. We will make the case that her title was taken from her solely because of her support of traditional marriage. She did not want to sue, but people need to know the truth.”

Miss California Organization Files Lawsuit Against Carrie Prejean

Keith Lewis responded to Prejean's lawsuit by telling FoxNews.com that he intended to file a counter lawsuit, which he did with a vengeance. The Miss California organization not only demanded money back for the breast enhancement operation, but they continued their onslaught of unprofessional personal attacks against Prejean with comments in the complaint such as: "She attempts to cast herself as a virtuous young woman and the victim in a supposed conspiracy against her." The organization that allowed Perez Hilton to ask a politically charged personal opinion question and then penalized Prejean for having an opinion they didn't like, then tried to apply the Bible: "Had she heeded the guidance of the Gospel of John, who admonished only those who are without sin to cast stones in judgment, she might have avoided this legal battle," the suit claims.

Miss California Organization Needs to Practice Tolerance

Perhaps the organization should heed its own words by dropping their stones and exercising a little tolerance the next time a beauty contestant is asked her opinion and says something pageant organizers don't like. Had the Miss California organization vetted the questions beforehand or handled the Carrie Prejean situation with any degree of tolerance and professionalism, no one would be facing a legal battle today.

Miss California Organization - the Christina Silva Lawsuit

This is not the first time in recent years the Miss California organization has dethroned a beauty queen under questionable circumstances. On November 25, 2007 Christina Silva was crowned Miss California, but her title was taken away by pageant officials three days later because of what they called an “accounting error.”  Keith Lewis' K2 Productions said they mis-tallied the votes. In 2008 Silva filed a lawsuit claiming K2 and Donald Trump's Miss Universe Organization engaged in fraud, breach of contract, misrepresentation, negligence, false advertising,and intentional infliction of emotional distress (www.rightcelebrity.com). Sounds like Carrie Prejean is in good company.