NRN: Papa John’s To Remove Founder From Advertising

John Schnatter, the founder and former CEO of Papa John’s, will be removed from the brand’s advertising and marketing efforts, according to a report by Nation’s Restaurant News.

The report comes after Schnatter came under further scrutiny for using a racial slur during a May conference call. He stepped down from his position as chairman of the board shortly after details from the call became public.

Schnatter has frequently appeared in the pizza chain’s commercials and participated in various other spokesperson-related efforts.

He stepped down from his CEO role in December 2017 after making controversial comments regarding NFL kneeling protests.

Steve Ritchie, who replaced Schnatter as CEO earlier this year, commented on the decision to remove Schnatter from the company’s advertising efforts.

“Papa John’s is not an individual,” he said in a statement. “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.”

Read the full report at NRN.com.