x
Breaking News
More () »

Tomball residents react to controversy involving Miss Teen USA

The controversy made it back to Karlie Hay's hometown of Tomball.

It was an unforgettable moment for Karlie Hay. Miss Teen Texas earned the Miss Teen USA crown, but a series of tweets with racial slurs unleashed a firestorm.

"It makes us all look bad," said one Tomball resident.

The controversy made it back to Hay's hometown of Tomball.

At Goodson's Cafe you'll find some of the best chicken fried steak in Texas, a wall of pageant winners that make Tomball proud and plenty of people with things to say about Hay.

"That's not acceptable," Lisa Wheaton said. "It's not a word you can just throw around."

But Brook Childress, who went to Tomball High School with Hay, sees things differently.

"Definitely her actions are not excusable, but she was 15. Who hasn't said something dumb when they were 15?" Childress said.

She says the Hay she knew from school doesn't hate anyone.

"I know she didn't have any malicious intent," Childress said. "She's never been mean to people. She was never mean to me, and I'm kind of the quiet kid."

Childress saw up close how hard Hay worked to earn the crown.

"I don't think it's fair that it should be taken away for one mistake she made three years ago," Childress said.

The Miss Universe organization agrees: it called her language unacceptable, but it is standing by its new pageant queen.

Miss Teen USA admitted to using the slur on Twitter in the past, saying she wasn't proud of it, but offered no specific apologies, writing "I am today a better person."

Back at Goodson's, opinions are still cooking.

"I don't think she should lose her crown, but something needs to happen, some sort of consequence," Wheaton said.

Diners are divided, but some appear willingly to forgive Tomball's newest beauty queen.

"I think everyone is still proud that she represents Tomball," said Kathy Schmidt, a manager at Goodson's Cafe. "We're human, We all make mistakes."

Houston's NAACP Chapter issued the following statement:

Since our founding over 107 years ago, the NAACP has remained steadfast in our mission to eliminate racial prejudice wherever it exists in our society. As such, the NAACP condemns the use of the “N” word in every instance and is disappointed to learn of its use by our local Miss Texas Teen USA and newly crowned Miss Teen USA, Karlie Hay.

Before You Leave, Check This Out