Ex-Miss Delaware sues to regain title

DOVER, Del. -- A woman stripped of her Miss Delaware title last month for being too old is suing state pageant officials and the Miss America organization.

In a lawsuit filed Tuesday, Amanda Longacre is seeking to be reinstated as Miss Delaware and to be allowed to compete in the Miss America pageant. She also is seeking $500,000 in damages for herself and $2.5 million for other contestants who she claims were recruited to compete in pageants before being told they were too old.

Pageant officials say contestants must be between 17 and 24. Longacre turns 25 in October, after this year's national pageant, but the rules purportedly require contestants to be no older than 24 at year's end.

State and national pageant representatives did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Wednesday.