The Miss Cayman Islands Universe Committee says it is preparing first runner-up Chloe Powery-Doxey for the crown in the event that the reigning queen Tiffany Conolly is unable to represent the country at the next year’s pageant.
The news comes two days after Conolly’s Summary Court assault trial opened.
Conolly, 24, of West Bay, faces two counts of common assault, two counts of damage to property, two counts of assaulting a police officer and one count of disorderly conduct.
Her trial, which was initially slated for one day, was unable to conclude in the allotted time, and was adjourned until 5 Dec., which means the verdict may not be returned before the international pageant is held in New Orleans on 14 Jan.
Although the committee declined to comment on the ongoing court case, they did say they are “monitoring the situation”.
“It is important to remember that in the court of law, an individual is innocent until proven guilty,” reads the statement. “As we navigate through a renaissance within the pageant world, it is also important to understand that no candidate is flawless; some come from harsh beginnings and strive to improve themselves throughout their journey.”
The development has prompted new discussions between the Miss Universe Organization and the Miss Cayman Islands Universe committee, which told the Cayman Compass that it would be “in a position to provide an update on the way forward in the coming weeks”.
A statement issued on behalf of the committee, on Wednesday 19 Oct., said the move to prepare Powery-Doxey falls in line with the pageant’s long-standing succession-planning policies.
“Our succession plan has always been that if a reigning queen is unable to complete her reign or perform her duties for any reason, there is a first runner-up who is ready to assume the role,” said the committee, adding that it had consulted with the Ministry of Tourism on the matter.
“The Committee will continue to execute what it has always been commissioned to do by the Ministry of Tourism and that is to produce a pageant, empower and mentor young ladies in the Cayman Islands and not deny them the opportunity to participate, as long as they meet the requirements,” the committee said in the statement.
The committee has maintained that, at the time of her application, Conolly was eligible to enter the pageant, and that the details of her arrest and subsequent charges only surfaced several months into the competition.
Her victory was subsequently met with harsh criticism and backlash by fellow contestants and the wider community.
The committee said the current requirements for entry into the competition are under review by the Ministry of Tourism, and that going forward “the due diligence tasks will be the primary responsibility of the Committee”.
It added, “Historically, the Committee did not make decisions in its sole discretion, in particular for critical matters, this situation was no different.
“Out of an abundance of caution, we believe that the directives provided by the Ministry and other influential stakeholders to this point was in everyone’s best interest.”
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