The downfall of Papa John’s Founder John Schnatter continues after his racism keeps on coming to light. First, it was blaming blaming NFL players kneeling to protest against racism and police brutality for Papa John’s horrible sales and now it’s him using the n-word on a conference call. Schnatter also resigned from Louisville’s Board of Trustees.
University of Louisville president Neeli Bendapudia announced today that Schnatter’s name will be removed from all places on Campus and Papa John’s naming rights to their football stadium will be changed. It will now be called Cardinal Stadium after it was originally Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium. This came after numerous players on the team demanded that Papa John’s name be taken away.
“These comments were hurtful and unacceptable, and do not reflect the values of our university,” said Bendapudia in a statement. “I have stated since my first day on this job that my commitment to the University of Louisville is to make it a great place to learn, a great place to work, and a great place in which to invest,” she continued. “We can only accomplish this if we truly celebrate diversity, foster equity, and aim to achieve inclusion. I appreciate your support as we have reviewed this difficult situation.”
Other sports organizations are following Louisville’s lead. The Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Ray have said that their relationship with Papa John’s is suspended. Surprisingly, the NFL cut ties with Papa John’s back in February.