Pizza giant Papa John’s is mandating diversity training for all staff members as ousted founder John Schnatter ramps up his efforts to regain control over the pizza franchise he still maintains a majority ownership stake in. The move is the latest development in the acrimonious fallout from Schnatter’s resignation and subsequent lawsuit against the company in recent months.

In an open letter published to the brand’s website, Papa John’s CEO Steve Ritchie said the pizza chain is consulting experts on how to improve diversity and inclusion practices. Richie also noted Papa John’s is planning system-wide unconscious racial bias training for employees and taking steps to bring more diversity to its employee and franchisee base.

Earlier this week, Schnatter launched a website to publicize his efforts to take back control of the company.

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Madeline Lena

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Madeline Lena

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Maddie has spent her career in the media industry, serving in various editorial roles before migrating into a hybrid content strategy and PR role with No Limit Agency. Her passion for storytelling and love of writing help her create meaningful content on behalf of her clients and fulfill No Limit Agency’s mission to tell people-driven stories. 

Maddie is a graduate of Saint Louis University, where she studied Communications with a focus in journalism and media studies as well as Sports Business. In her spare time, Maddie can be found exploring Chicago’s food scene, watching an NBA game or lamenting over her middling fantasy baseball team.