Papa John's Founder Says 'It Was a Mistake' to Resign

In a letter to 'The Wall Street Journal,' Schnatter said his resignation was a mistake. He’s also accused the Papa John's board of not conducting a proper investigation.

Last week, Papa John’s founder John Schnatter resigned as the chairman of Papa John’s International, after a news report published inForbesclaimed he used the N-word on a conference call in May.

But in a recent letter to The Wall Street Journal, Schnatter said his resignation was a mistake. He’s also accused the board of not conducting a proper investigation into the incident.

“The board asked me to step down as chairman without apparently doing any investigation. I agreed, though today I believe it was a mistake to do so,” Schnatter wrote in the letter, which was dated on Saturday. “I will not allow either my good name or the good name of the company I founded and love to be unfairly tainted.”  

Since the controversy erupted, the company’s former CEO claimed he was somehow pressured into using racist language, and conservatives flocked to defend Schnatter by buying mediocre pizza and using the hashtag #PapaJohnDidNothingWrong.

QRsq3q0F

For those who don’t remember, Schnatter previously blamed slumping pizza sales on the NFL protests against police brutality and racial injustice. He was eventually forced to step down as CEO but remained chairman of the board and the face of the brand

The company has yet to comment to Schnatter’s accusation, but continues to distance itself from its founder. He’s no longer permitted to use office space at the company's corporate headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky, and is also being scrubbed from marketing materials. 

Honestly, it's time to shut the lid on this whole Papa John's situation and move on. 

 

Latest in Life