Gretchen Carlson, the former Miss America turned director of the organization's board, has responded to bullying claims by current title holder Cara Mund.
"I want to be clear that as a proponent of women my entire life, I have never bullied Cara Mund," Carlson told People. "We have supported Cara for her entire year and we will continue to support her. It's just disappointing that she chose to air her grievance publicly and not privately."
The organization also posted a message to its social media pages.
Carlson's remarks were made in response to a scathing letter released by Mund in which she claimed she had been "silenced...reduced...and marginalized" by the pageant's leadership. Mund's letter came just three weeks before the Sept. 9 Miss America telecast where she is set to hand over her crown.
Thirteen former Miss Americas, including Alabama's Heather Whitestone McCallum, launched a petition calling for the removal of Carlson and Hopper. The petition has garnered more than 16,500 signatures in less than a week.
In July, representatives from 22 state pageants, including the Miss Alabama board, called for the resignation of Carlson and CEO Regina Hopper, citing "failed leadership."
Carlson joined the Miss America board of directors late last year after the then-CEO reportedly used sexist and demeaning language in emails. She quickly garnered controversy after she announced the elimination of the swimsuit portion of the pageant as part of the "Miss America 2.0" revamp.
Carlson told people she plans to reach out to Mund "shortly."