Six of the contestants who lost the Miss Corpus Christi Latina Pageant not only think the pageant crowned the wrong winner, they're suing over it. Their lawsuit makes the case that Caitlin Cifuentes, 25, should not have received the crown on June 11 because of her criminal record and a past marriage, reports the Houston Chronicle. Specifically, the suit argues that Cifuentes should have been disqualified because she is on deferred adjudicated probation for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, along with probation for misdemeanor DUI. Those charges stem from a 2013 car crash that injured four people, reports Courthouse News Service. The lawsuit is seeking $100,000 from pageant director Kayla Alvarez, who stands by the decision to crown Cifuentes.
"Just because you have a bad background ... doesn't mean that should hold you back from accomplishing your goals," Alvarez tells the Corpus Christi Caller-Times. "She's worked very hard and the judges saw that and she won fair and square." Alvarez says Cifuentes' probationary status means she was never technically convicted and was therefore still eligible to compete. While the suit cites a clause in the agreement all contestants signed that begins "I have never been married," Alvarez says the rule against no marriages applies only to the teen competition, with divorced adults eligible for the "Miss" title. The suit also argues that due to Cifuentes' probation, her travel outside of Nueces County is dependent on the Nueces County Probation Department's approval. As of now, Cifuentes is still on track to compete for the state Latina title in August. (Want to win Miss Universe? This Yale law grad can help.)
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