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The organization behind the Miss North Carolina USA pageant says its decision to strip winner Brittany Boltinhouse of her crown was based on “the totality of the circumstances” surrounding her past public statements — not her conservative politics or Christian faith.

What they’re saying:

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“A Blaize Productions’ decision was not based on Brittany Boltinhouse’s political views, religious beliefs, or protected personal viewpoints,” the organization, which holds the North Carolina state license for the Miss USA pageant, said in a statement.

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“Our organization includes people from various backgrounds, political views, personal beliefs and values. We welcome and celebrate that.”

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The backstory:

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Boltinhouse, 27, won the Miss North Carolina USA pageant in June, but her reign lasted only a matter of weeks before past social media posts came under scrutiny. She was stripped of the title this week and has argued that her political and religious views, along with previous public statements, led to the decision.

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The other side:

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“I believe and think I was stripped from my title because of my political stance and my belief system as a conservative Christian woman,” Boltinhouse, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, told the Carolina Journal in an interview Friday.

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“I am proud of my faith. I am proud of my standards. I am a proud conservative woman, but a Christian woman. I’m a God-fearing woman.”

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“I will never let my guard down for my faith, and also I love this country.”

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Dig deeper:

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Pageant organizers, however, said the decision stemmed from Boltinhouse’s past online conduct, including resurfaced social media posts in which she repeatedly used the N-word.

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“The decision followed a careful review of the totality of information that came to our attention, including previously undisclosed conduct and public content spanning multiple years that was inconsistent with the standards and responsibilities expected of a Miss North Carolina USA titleholder under the agreements governing the position,” the organizers’ statement concluded.

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Miss USA President and CEO Thom Brodeur, who lists “he/him” pronouns on his Instagram profile, also addressed the controversy earlier this week, saying the pageant “does not tolerate racism, homophobia, transphobia nor language that strips any person of their dignity,” according to Fox Carolina. He said the statements at issue “reflected conduct over an extended period of time.”

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“A title here isn’t a trinket,” Brodeur told ABC News. “It is a position of trust, extended by an organization and accepted by a woman who agrees to carry a standard in public,” he added. “When that standard is broken, the title cannot continue as though nothing happened.”

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Boltinhouse, meanwhile, said she would not allow the controversy over her previous statements to define her.

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“I won’t be judged for my past,” she said, describing the loss of her title as a “blessing in disguise.” She added that she is “glad it happened to me and not some other young lady that, you know, probably just wouldn’t make it through what I am going through right now.”

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“You have a right to be a conservative in this country, a constitutional right,” Boltinhouse added in the interview. “Everyone has a right to say what they want to say and feel what they want to feel.”

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