As at least one official rescinds her resignation from the embattled Kendall County Fair Association, a former director is pushing back against claims about mismanagement of the 2025-26 Queen's Court.

Johanna Olivarez, a pageant director who stated she stepped away from the pageant program during the summer before resigning in September after the controversy became public, is speaking up after parents and members of the 2025-26 fair royalty raised concerns about attire, reimbursements, cancellations and conduct around young people.

The situation came to a head, and has led to a schism in the nonprofit, when 2025-26 Queen Makenna Jureczki had her microphone silenced Sept. 3 as she criticized association leadership during the introduction of the new court for 2026-27. "Makenna has served on the court before and knew what was expected of her," said Olivarez, a former queen herself.