Miss America Kira Kazantsev Responds to Sorority Hazing Allegations, Reveals Real Reason for her "Termination"

"This has all been immensely taken out of context and manipulated purposefully because I am now in a public position," says former Alpha Phi sister

By Rebecca Macatee Sep 23, 2014 2:49 PMTags
Kira KazantsevABC

Kira Kazantsev barely had the chance to celebrate her Miss America 2015 win before scandalous accusations about her sorority past came back to haunt her.

On Monday, a report surfaced claiming that the 23-year-old beauty queen and aspiring law student was kicked out Alpha Phi at Hofstra University for abusively hazing pledges. The following day, Kira addressed the harsh allegations on Good Morning America, saying first off, "They're just not true."

"I'm incredibly hurt that someone has said these things." she said, admitting, "Under the broad definition of hazing, yes, I was involved in some of those activities while at Hofstra. I came in as an impressionable freshman, everybody wants to be a part of something, and at the time, unfortunately, that was just the culture of the organization."

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"I was never involved with any name-calling or use of profanity toward a girl during my time with the sorority," Kira clarified in a blog posted Tuesday. "I was never involved in any physical hazing or any degradation of physical appearance of any kind. This has all been immensely taken out of context and manipulated purposefully because I am now in a public position."

"The worst of the so-called hazing was standing in a line reciting information, a few sleepless nights, and crafting," she wrote. "I was yelled at a few times. That year, the sorority got in trouble for those actions and was disciplined by both Hofstra and the national organization. However, after being brought up through that process, my class thought the only way to gain respect in the sorority was to go through it or be seen as weak."

When she later served as the New Member Educator, she "did oversee some pledging events as part of my job description, similar to those described above," she wrote. But those events, she said, had nothing to do with her termination from Alpha Phi.

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During her senior year, she "made a joke that was taken out of context" in an email to Alpha Phi alumni. She wrote "that we would make the evening scary for the pledges," and that email "was forwarded to the national office."

"Based on that information, the national office summoned me for a judiciary hearing," she explained on her blog. "At the time, it was the end of the school year. Finals, graduation, and moving to New York City were at the forefront of my concerns. Based on the fact that I did not attend this hearing that was the official reason given for my termination."

On Good Morning America, Kira insisted she was "going to take this negative and turn it into a positive," adding, "All I can do is sit here and be honest, and share that, yes, I was involved under the broad definition at some point of hazing, but never ever in a million years, what [this report] is claiming."

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Asked what she'd say to young girls looking up to her, Kira replied, "I'd tell them it's OK to make mistakes. That's life."

The Miss America Organization seems to be on the same page as Kira, who "has been very open and candid about her termination from the Alpha Phi sorority," a spokesperson told E! News Monday. "It's unfortunate that this incident and unsourced allegations have been exploited to create a storyline that distracts from what we should be focusing on: Kira's impressive academic achievements at Hofstra University, including earning a triple major from the Honors College and her commitment to serving her community. Kira is an exceptional ambassador for the Miss America Organization, and we are excited to be a part of her journey as a force for good across our nation, promoting education and service and working to empower young women."

And now? Kira is looking forward "to sharing my year of service with you and continuing to engage in a dialogue about trading adversity for success," she wrote. "I want to be someone who people look up to as Miss America, and I also want women to understand that despite anything that has happened in your past or the mistakes that may have been made, you have the power to control the outcome of your future."