Newly crowned Miss America Kira Kazantsev is responding to reports she was kicked out of her Long Island college sorority for abusive hazing.

According to Jezebel.com, Kazantsev was kicked out of Hofstra University's Alpha Phi sorority last year after allegedly hazing pledges.

The report maintains that pledges were called names, criticized over their appearance and made to perform physically difficult tasks to the point of exhaustion.

The Miss America Organization released a statement Monday responding to the allegations.

"Kira has been fully transparent with the Miss America Organization about her termination from the Alpha Phi sorority. It's unfortunate that this incident has 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."

Early this morning, Kazantsev posted a blog on her website denying the hazing accusations and giving her side of her college sorority experience.

"When I was a senior, as one of the older sisters in the sorority, I was asked by a new member educator at the time to send an email to alumni asking them to attend an event. In the email, I joked that we could make the evening scary for the pledges. That statement was a joke – we never intended to actually engage in the wrongful behavior that I have been accused of – and the alumni event I spoke of never came to fruition anyway. But this is when I learned a very important communications lesson that will stick with me for life.

The email was forwarded by someone to the national organization. Based on that information, the national office summoned me for a judiciary hearing. 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.

I was never involved with any name-calling or use of profanity toward a girl during my time with the sorority. 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 nameless source that is saying these things is doing exactly what it is that I was wrongfully accused of."

 

More From Lite 96.9 WFPG