Papa John's Removes Founder's Name From Website in Wake of Controversial Resignation

Days after announcing that John Schnatter resigned from his position as chairman of the board at [...]

By Libby Birk

Days after announcing that John Schnatter resigned from his position as chairman of the board at Papa John's, the pizza company has updated its website, totally scrubbing it of Schnatter's name.

In the company's "About Us" section of its website, it makes reference to the first Papa John's restaurant, founded by Schnatter in Jeffersonville, Indiana, but does not list his name — or photo. In fact, the only place on Papa John's website where Schnatter's likeness remains is in an open letter from Steve Ritchie, the company's CEO who began Jan. 1 after Schnatter stepped down.

In Ritchie's open letter shared Friday, he announced that Schnatter had resigned as chairman and that he would no longer be used in advertising or marketing for the brand.

"This decision is the first of several key steps to rebuild trust from the inside-out. We will be engaging a broad set of stakeholders to chart a course forward that demonstrates our commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion," Ritchie wrote, in part.

Schnatter's resignation came after he apologized for using the n-word during a May conference call with a marketing agency. He had previously stepped down as the company's chief executive in January after he said that the National Football League player protests were hurting pizza sales. After being the subject of a recently published Forbes report that documented his use of the racial slur in May, he apologized and resigned hours later.

"News reports attributing the use of inappropriate and hurtful language to me during a media training session regarding race are true," he said in a statement Wednesday before the company announced his resignation. "Regardless of the context, I apologize. Simply stated, racism has no place in our society."

In his open letter shared Friday, Ritchie stressed that the company's views are not defined by Schnatter's comments.

"Papa John's is not an individual. Papa John's is a pizza company with 120,000 corporate and franchise team members around the world. Our employees represent all walks of life, and we are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable workplace for all. Racism and any insensitive language, no matter what the context simply cannot – and will not – be tolerated at any level of our company," Ritchie wrote.

He said that he will "personally be leading" the effort to demonstrate diversity, equity and inclusion at the company because there is nothing more important for Papa John's right now."

"We want to regain trust, though I know we need to earn it. We will demonstrate that a diverse and inclusive culture exists at Papa John's through our deeds and actions," Ritchie wrote.

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