The first man to serve as Winter Carnival Queen has been removed from the position.

An email statement released Sunday afternoon by the Blue Key Honor Society, which organizes Winter Carnival and runs the Queens Pageant, said that Zack Metiva displayed “inappropriate behavior following the coronation.” The statement was repeated on the Winter Carnival 2020 web page.

Winter Carnival Queen Riley Simpson – MTU/Blue Key Image

First runner-up Riley Simpson has been named Queen, and will officiate at Winter Carnival events this week. Simpson is a a fourth-year mechanical engineering student from the Chicago suburbs. She was sponsored by Guardians of the North and the Cyberia Cafe.

Dana Anderson is promoted to first runner-up. Anderson is a fourth-year undergraduate student from Holt, Michigan. She is studying biochemistry and molecular biology in the pre-health professions program. She was sponsored by Theta Chi Epsilon, Beta Sigma Theta, and Mike Lahti Properties.

Audience Choice award-winner Abby Bevilacqua will now also serve as second runner-up.

The email did not specify what Metiva’s behavior was. It did add that the Blue Key Honor Society remains committed to keeping the Queens Competition “an inclusive event, open to all students.”

Metiva’s removal is the second public relations challenge this year’s Winter Carnival has faced. In October, the event’s logo representing the theme “Discover What Shines from Prehistoric Times” was modified to remove “controversial content and graphics.” The image of a prehistoric individual with light brown skin was removed, and replaced with an outline of the Upper Peninsula. See more here.

Here is the text of the email sent to KeweenawReport.com:

“It was brought to the attention of Blue Key Honor Society that the previously crowned 2020 Winter Carnival Queen displayed inappropriate behavior following the Coronation. This behavior does not represent the values of Winter Carnival, Blue Key, and Michigan Technological University. The Winter Carnival Queen embodies a well-rounded, confident, and talented individual who showcases the importance of scholarship, community, and character. In light of this, Riley Simpson has been crowned the 2020 Winter Carnival Queen. Blue Key would like to emphasize that the Winter Carnival Queen Coronation will remain an inclusive event, open to all students.”

The email was digitally signed by Clara Peterson, the Blue Key Honor Society President.