Miss California Could Sue for Discrimination, Legal Analyst Says

[meegbear]

Miss California Carrie Prejean, blasted by a Miss USA contest judge because she opposes gay marriage, may have grounds for a discrimination lawsuit herself — against the Miss USA pageant, a legal analyst says.

"If she really feels some tremendous stress as a result of losing — and I'm certain she's probably devastated from what happened to her — she can articulate a viable claim for monetary compensation for psychic injury," said FOX News legal analyst Mercedes Colwin.

Prejean fielded a question during Sunday night's pageant from celebrity blogger Perez Hilton about whether every state should legalize same-sex marriage. Prejean replied that she is opposed to gay marriage, and her answer may have cost her the crown. She finished second to Miss North Carolina Kristen Dalton.

"She lost it because of that question," Hilton said Monday. "She was definitely the front-runner before that."

Hilton, who is gay, said he gave Prejean a zero for her answer, and that may have made the difference in the outcome.

<snip>

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,517362,00.html

[izquierdista]

1. Mercedes Clown

I hate it when reporters don't get their spelling correct.

[aquart]

2. Shyster.

[Warpy]

3. I don't think so

Hilton made it perfectly clear that she lost because she was too stupid to be tactful, not because of her views. Tact has to be a requirement for anyone who is making public appearances.

However, I'm sure there's a shyster out there somewhere who will be perfectly willing to make her wallet lighter in a futile suit.

[JDPriestly]

4. Is she claiming to be a member of a protected class of people with

bigoted opinions? I didn't know there was such a protected class.

[Towlie]

5. I doubt it. I'll bet all the contestants had to sign legal release forms before the pagent.

A better headline might have been "Miss California Could Sue for Discrimination, Fox News 'Legal Analyst' Says"

[old guy]

6. Of course she can sue.

The suit will be thrown out, but she is free to sue.

[targetpractice]

7. I was also a dumb answer...

She said Americans were "free to choose:... That's incorrect... they aren't free to choose in 46 states

Furthermore, she simply stumbled through an articulation of her opinion (e.g., "opposite marriage").

Finally, she drew the question at random. Tough luck.

[Arkansas Granny]

8. Exactly. Regardless what her opinion is, her answer was almost incoherent.

[katanalori]

9. Her opinions........

did not account for her low score, IMO. It is her inability to ARTICULATE - what does "In MY Country" and "opposite marriage" mean? Had she stated her support for man/woman only marriage in a coherent way, I don't think she would have been graded so low. She just did not make sense, and showed lack of communication skills. Of course, her opinions suck in my view - but that has nothing to do with her garbled communication skills.

[LiberalFighter]

11. In MY country? Geesh!! She must had thought she already won the Miss America

and was competing in the Miss Universe.

[ronnykmarshall]

10. Can we put Miss Cal and Perez on a rocket to Mars?

They both need to shut the fuck up!

I feel bad for the WINNER of Miss USA. That HOG Miss California and Miss Perez are flapping their traps for anyone that will listen. Miss USA is left in the dust because of those two fucking pigs.

[madrchsod]

15. even chelsie handler has a hard time putting up pezez....

people thought miley cyrus/hanna montana was an ait headed teen.......at least she`s smarter than miss california

[Jamastiene]

26. Let's send them further away than Mars, if possible.

"Can we put Miss Cal and Perez on a rocket to Mars?"

Miss California's answer was bigoted and I have no use whatsoever for someone with views that take away other people's rights.

That being said, Perez Hilton makes enough misogynist comments that it actually bothers me. On top of that, and on a personal level, he has done some very bad things to a certain someone, who still, to this day, thinks he is her friend. He is not. He is gunning for that certain someone.

I have no respect for the guy any more knowing some of the things I know. Not that I had that much respect for someone who belittles women like he does to begin with. That whole crowd that runs with him is like that; they are anti-women and anti-lesbian. *shudder*

[LiberalFighter]

12. Mercedes Clown probably got her degree from Bob Jones University.

[meegbear]

13. Yep, this isn't a "frivolous lawsuit" in Fox News' eyes

:eyes:

[closeupready]

14. She stated she was fine with how things turned out, so no, she can't sue now.

At least not by claiming it stressed her or anything. Sorry, honey - that train left the station the day after you lost and then spoke to the media about it.

[Amiga500]

16. Perezs' zero was bigoted. A zero!

As was his "blond bitch" insult. I've been on a number of Ms USA poll sites and his display was overwhelmingly slammed.

[tekisui]

18. Her answer was bigoted.

[Amiga500]

19. Really!

Is our president bigoted as well? He did say marriage should be between a man and a women.

[La Lioness Priyanka]

20. yes, he is a bigot.

[tekisui]

21. He is wrong on that.

[davidinalameda]

23. don't you have a bridge to watch

[Bluebear]

24. You signed up here just for THIS? Loser.

[JonLP24]

30. The difference between Obama and Her

He voted against the Federal Amendment which would've defined marriage between a man and a woman even though he made public statements stating how he feels personally. Then after the 2008 campaign he formally endorsed gay marriage according to this source: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/gay/lesbian/news/ARTICLE.php?AID=20230

He also called for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act as well as advocating expansion of the hate crimes legislation to include gay/lesbians/transgender and he was against prop 8 stating that he supports "fully equal rights and benefits to same-sex couples under both state and federal law."

I don't know Prejean's political positions but I'm willing to bet she would've voted for the Marriage Amendment, the Defense of Marriage Act, as well as prop 8. Though I have no way of knowing this, I do know if she would've answered the question with any similarity to Barack Obama she could've won.

[Jamastiene]

27. You got it wrong.

The "blonde bitch" comment was bigoted, but Perez' zero was not bigoted. He was a judge and had the power to score how he saw fit. Her answer was bigoted. His "bitch" comments were/are bigoted, but his vote was just a vote in a stupid sexist beauty pageant, which she willingly and knowingly participated in. She knew the rules going in.

There's bigotry all the way around in this case.

[Zuiderelle]

31. Not only was her answer bigoted, it was incoherent. Only her bigotry shone clear.

[BattyDem]

17. Wait a minute ...

Answering questions is part of the pageant. The answers are judged and given a score which is added to a contestant's overall score in the competition. The total score decides the winner.

How can she sue? It is a judge's right to give her a low score if he/she does not like her answer or believes her response is not intelligent or articulate enough.

Sorry Carrie - you knew the rules going in. Every contestant is judged on their response to a question. Too bad.


edited: typo :blush:

[davidinalameda]

22. go ahead and sue

I wouldn't be surprised to see the California pageant people snatch her crown in the process

[IndianaGreen]

25. This was an idiotic and sexist beauty pageant, not a job application

I am sure that Carrie Prejean has a bright future as a Faux anchor woman.

[Hassin Bin Sober]

28. I assume this is the same caliber of legal advice that brought us O'Rielly vs. Franken.

[xchrom]

29. oh! oh! i got it -- this is perfect! 'BRING IT ON!!!' nt