Savannah Gankiewicz crowned new Miss USA after former titleholder Noelia Voigt resigns

Savannah Gankiewicz of Hawaii was crowned the new Miss USA 2023 on Wednesday following shocking resignations and allegations that the pageant’s CEO failed to take an incident of sexual harassment seriously and created a toxic work environment.

Gankiewicz, 28, formally accepted the role in a special coronation and celebration in Waikiki, Hawaii News Now reported. She replaced former Miss USA Noelia Voigt, who announced her resignation on May 6.

“I just feel like this was the right decision for my community and for my state,” she told the news station.

Hawaii Gov. Josh Green, who crowned Gankiewicz at the ceremony, wrote on Instagram that she “exemplifies the spirit of Miss USA” and “she will continue to be a symbol of resilience and hope for Hawai‘i throughout her reign.”

The Miss USA organization has been embroiled in controversy after Voigt relinquished her title. The 24-year-old said in an Instagram statement that she needed to focus on her mental health, but internet sleuths said she had left a hidden message in her post: “I am silenced” spelled out with the first letter of each sentence.

Days after her public statement, NBC News obtained a copy of Voigt’s resignation letter in which she accused the organization of creating a toxic work environment and failing to address a sexual harassment incident she raised.

“There is a toxic work environment within the Miss USA organization that, at best, is poor management and, at worst, is bullying and harassment,” she wrote. “This started soon after winning the title of Miss USA 2023.”

Voigt went on to say that Miss USA CEO and President Laylah Rose consistently failed to communicate and that when she did, Rose was “often cold and unnecessarily aggressive.”

The former Miss USA winner accused Rose of threatening to take away Voigt’s salary “for things that were never discussed with me” and bad-mouthing her to others in the organization.

Her letter also detailed an alleged incident of sexual harassment at a Christmas event in Florida. Voigt wrote that after she was left alone in a car with a man, he allegedly made inappropriate comments “about his desire to enter into a relationship with me.”

Voigt said she told Rose about the incident, and Rose said, “We cannot prevent people saying things to you at public appearances, it is, unfortunately, part of the role you’re in as a public figure.”

In a statement, Rose said in part that she takes allegations seriously and that “the well-being of all individuals associated with Miss USA is my top priority.”

Following Voigt’s resignation, Miss Teen USA UmaSofia Srivastava, 17, announced she was also stepping down because her “personal values no longer fully align with the direction of the organization.”

Miss USA’s social media manager Claudia Michelle also resigned, telling NBC News that Rose was inconsistent with her communication and that the organization’s management was unprofessional.

Gankiewicz briefly addressed some of the allegations Wednesday, telling Hawaii News Now that she empathizes with the former titleholders but she “took this as a job and a responsibility to really help make a positive impact in this organization that I truly believe in.”

“Miss USA has been amazing to me. I believe in Laylah Rose,” she said. “She has been nothing but kind during this whole process when she stepped into this leadership last year. So I truly believe in it and I know that she will do great things.”

Gankiewicz will hold the title until August, when her successor is crowned at the next Miss USA pageant.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com