The girl who appeared to win the Winslow Miss 4th of July pageant Saturday, only to be told the next day that votes were miscounted and she hadn’t won after all, remained defiant Wednesday, vowing not to give up her crown despite growing online criticism.
Kevin Douglass, the director of the Winslow Family 4th of July, said Wednesday that the organization is at a loss as to how to satisfy Molly Lybrook’s demands, and he worried the ongoing flap is detracting from the community celebration, which began Tuesday and continues through Saturday.
Lybrook, 17, of Fairfield, was scheduled to meet with the judges Wednesday night to go over the results, which may clear up the issue, Douglass said.
Asked if organizers would crown the other winner if Lybrook continued to protest the outcome, Douglass said he hoped it would not go that far.
“I really don’t want to do that. That’s not what this is about,” he said.
“We were never going to take it away from her. We were just asking her to be a co-winner,” he said. “She’s not losing the crown, so I guess I’m lost in what she’s looking for.”
Lybrook was crowned Miss 4th of July on Saturday. Later, organizers found the votes had been miscounted, pageant director Leah Frost said Tuesday, and Caitlin Grenier, 14, of Winslow, was the actual winner.
Organizers on Sunday told Lybrook she could share the crown with Grenier. Douglass said Lybrook was receptive at first but then changed her mind.
The symbolic display of unity between the two contestants would have been fitting for the Independence Day festival, Douglass said.
“What better message for the Fourth of July than to be united?” he said Wednesday.
Comments on the Morning Sentinel’s Wednesday story about Lybrook’s refusal to share the crown are mostly critical of her.
“She didn’t win. Period, end of story. Give back the crown, stay out of the parade,” said AKJenn77.
Others posted about the pageant controversy on social media:
@jaymohr37 #jaymohrsports Get over it Molly Lybrook .. Some times Votes do get miscounted /s/ Al Gore
— Mele D (@az_mikemercury) July 1, 2015
A few criticized the pageant itself, calling it unorganized and questioning why the votes were recounted.
“This pageant is so unorganized. I hope that they never have it again. These girls work hard and to have to go through this needlessly is a shame,” wrote hltwaterville.
A centralmaine.com online poll asking whether Lybrook and Grenier should share the crown ran steadily 80 percent in favor of sharing, 20 percent against through the afternoon.
Lybrook, 17, posted on Facebook on Wednesday, “For those of you Harassing me publicly I would like to say one thing … the reason I am fighting against this is to stand up for myself and to corruption. I am not in any way against the ‘real’ winner. I am not being selfish and keeping the crown I am fighting corruption, cheating, and possibly lying.”
Lybrook has posted a petition on Facebook that, as of 4 p.m. Wednesday, had 318 signatures showing support for her keeping the crown.
She also posted thanks to the petition signers and added, “for those of you sending me threats and calling me names I hope you learn to be a little more adult and dig a little deeper into a situation before you open your mouths. I don’t need to be bullied for standing up for myself.”
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