Weighty Issues: Did a Texas Beauty Queen Lose Her Crown For Being Too Fat?

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The newly crowned Miss San Antonio is all set to defend her title. But this time she’ll do so in a courtroom, not on the stage.

Domonique Ramirez, the 17-year-old beauty queen from Bexar County, Texas, says she has been unfairly stripped of her regal title by the event’s organizers. Miss Ramirez was crowned Miss San Antonio in April 2010, the Miss Bexar County Organization has requested she hand back her title. The Organization claims that Ramirez “didn’t take her responsibilities seriously,” and would often arrive at events late, “with no makeup, a dirty sash and a broken crown.”And after all, what is a queen without her crown?

On Monday, in response to Ramirez’s failure to meet her regal requirements, the Miss Bexar County Organization declared Ashley Dixon, the 21-year-old runner-up, as the new Miss San Antonio.

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of Ms. Senior America)

Accusations were also made that Miss Ramirez filled her role rather too … roundly. In other words, she gained weight. Linda Woods, the pageant board’s spokeswoman admitted to telling the young queen to “get off the tacos, get off the chips and the soda.” Ramirez claims that Woods told her she was “just way too big,” and that “this is not going to work” at a photo shoot in late November.

Woods has refuted these claims, saying that the 17-year-old’s weight was “absolutely not” a factor in the decision to dethrone her, but that tardiness was the main reason. She also claims that the pageant contract does not mention weight but only asks that winners are “neat,” “well groomed,” and have a “healthy look.”

(More on TIME.com: See pictures of Miss America through the years)

A copy of the contract obtained by FoxNews seems to state the opposite: “I understand that a baseline for my weight and measurements will be established at the time of this contract signing.”  The incumbent Miss San Antonio claims to be the same weight (129 pounds) as she was when she won the pageant in April 2010, “give or take a few pounds.” The argument may be over how much “a few” really means.

The judge in charge of the case brought by Ramirez against the organization has ruled that, until the case is closed, Miss Ramirez will retain her title. So, in the end, it will be up to District Judge Larry Noll who gets the crown, and so, who fights it out for Bexar County at the up and coming Miss Texas pageant. I bet he never saw that one coming. (via ABC)