Voigt alleged in her resignation letter that the toxic work environment was “at best, poor management and, at worst, [was] bullying and harassment.” She claimed Rose was “inaccessible for communication,” which led Voigt to miss public events and feel unsafe at some of the events she was able to attend. In one example, Voigt said that because of insufficient support provided by her designated handler, she was sexually harassed at a parade in 2023.
“[I was] left alone in a car with the man who drove the car through the parade and he made several inappropriate statements to me about his desire to enter into a relationship with me,” Voigt wrote. “When I informed [Rose] of the harassment, [she 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 text messages reviewed by Yahoo News, Voigt also raises concerns about someone using the Miss USA Instagram account without her knowledge and “commenting on my behalf.” Voigt states she is “not comfortable” with the posts and asks to “further discuss safe and appropriate social media usage.”
According to Engelhardt, “internally, we all knew” it was Rose micromanaging the accounts herself, rather than consulting or working with Engelhardt as the brand’s social media director. This was not the usual practice for someone in Rose’s position, according to Engelhardt.
Engelhardt, who started as the organization’s social media director in January, also told Yahoo News that Rose would quote contract excerpts back to Voigt and Srivastava if they posted something she personally didn’t like on social media.
“They would be met with screenshots, they would be met with copy-and-paste sections of their contracts saying, ‘You’re not doing this right. You’re in breach of contract. Correct this or we’re going to withhold your salary,’” Engelhardt alleged. “You’re living in fear. It’s like, alright, if I breathe are they going to say something? Are they going to email me?”
In Voigt’s letter, she mentioned threats of her salary being withheld, saying, “It’s incredibly jarring to be trying to do my job and constantly be threatened with disciplinary action, including taking away my salary, for things that were never discussed with me and ... were causing no issue other than not meeting her personal preference.”
Voigt also alleged that Rose “attempted to slander me and defame and disparage my character” to members of the national Miss USA team. In one instance, she claimed Rose commented to someone about how she hoped Voigt would get hit in the face by a baseball when throwing out the first pitch at a game.
