Pageant of birthday suits and lawsuits

Miss North Carolina 2002 arrived at the opening ceremony of the Miss America beauty pageant on Sunday night, accompanied by her mother, an entourage of fans, and one person who adores her somewhat less: the other Miss North Carolina 2002.

The event is now in danger of becoming most famous for the lawsuits it generates. The latest conflict concerns Rebekah Revels, a 24-year-old teacher who resigned the North Carolina title when an ex-boyfriend threatened to distribute nude photographs of her.

A runner-up, Misty Clymer, was appointed in her place, but Ms Revels went to court, claiming she had been pressured into resigning. A judge gave her her title back, but the Miss America pageant continued to recognise Ms Clymer.

A second judge ruled that both women should be recognised while the issue is investigated.

Ms Revels has said that the photographs were taken while she was changing clothes. She obtained an order preventing their distribution.

Only the current Miss America, Katie Harman, saw a silver lining, saying the conflict "prepares these young women for the job ". Her parents recently accused the pageant organisers of treating her badly. Chief executive Robert Renneisen dismissed the dispute as "the rebellion of the beauty queens" - before resigning and suing the company.

Robert Beck, his predecessor, is already suing for wrongful dismissal after threatening the pageant's rigorously upheld moral code with the subversive notion that women who had been divorced, or had undergone abortions, might be allowed to participate.