Headlines have swirled around John Schnatter, founder of Papa John’s after a report from Forbes stated he dropped the n-word during a May conference call. Ripple effects from his use of the n-word have had him pushed out of his office in the company’s headquarters and resulted in his resignation as chairman. Speaking out for the first time after his apology, Schnatter claims his decision to resign was a mistake.
In a letter to The Wall Street Journal, Schnatter not only shared that he made a mistake by resigning from his post but also pointed the finger toward the company’s board for not doing an investigation into the matter. Recently, Schnatter also stated he was forced into saying the word during the call.
“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. “I will not allow either my good name or the good name of the company I founded and love to be unfairly tainted.”
Schnatter stated to WLKY he was being coerced after being pushed to use the word into a $6 million pay off that would make the story not see the light of day. In response, he told the radio station “I’m not for sale. They can take the $6 million and whatever, they’re not getting it.”
