John Schnatter, Founder and former CEO and Chairman of the Board of Papa John’s International, resigned his position as Chairman of the Board for Papa John’s last month amid the public announcement of his use of the ‘N word’ during a conference call with the advertising agency, ‘Laundry Service’, in which he and representatives of the agency were role-playing better techniques to use in Mr. Schnatter’s and Papa John’s future marketing campaigns, a result of a significant decline in sales after Schnatter made known his position regarding what he considered the NFL’s poor handling of the “taking to the knee” of some players during our country’s National Anthem at games in an effort to speak out against the injustice within the police departments across the US towards black people.

The NFL was a huge sponsor of Papa John’s, and because Mr. Schnatter took a stand for his rights as a citizen of these United States of America in voicing his opposition to the inappropriate and unpatriotic nature of these few players’ actions on their employers’ time and not in their private lives, which for MANY Americans reflected VERY POORLY on the organizations of not only the NFL but ALL of professional sports, sales of Papa John’s pizza declined, reflecting in a substantial drop in the stock value, and the NFL pulled out as a sponsor for the pizza chain. Mr. Schnatter’s use of the ‘N word’ also resulted in a drop in stock prices as those offended protested his disrespectful use of the offensive slang reference to blacks, leading to the quick resignation of Mr. Schnatter and several resulting actions of the company to disassociate with the founder in order to prevent further loss of revenue and damage to Papa John’s reputation.

While I agree 100% that the choices John Schnatter made with regards to the use of that DEEPLY OFFENSIVE word as a reference to people of color was very wrong, I ABSOLUTELY do not agree with his being forced to resign - whether by shame, irresponsibility or guilt - or by coercion of the company’s principals and board members, his position as Chairman of the Board for the company he founded with his blood, sweat and tears at the young age of 22, and for which he has sacrificed SO VERY MUCH, and GIVEN so much (along with his wife, Annette.) Mr. Schnatter has done an EXCEPTIONAL job growing this company from a one-man operation in the broom closet of his father’s business to one of the largest and most profitable businesses of ALL TIME, employing MANY wonderful people along the way who would help make Papa John’s one of the top pizza leaders across the globe. To strip ALL the company has from this man who has not only created HUGE amounts of jobs all throughout the WORLD, but who has (along with his wife who has been VERY MUCH involved in the company’s growth and dealings as well as others in the company) done MUCH good in the form of donations, endowments and sponsorships globally is an injustice of EPIC proportions, and an embarrassment to all that is American!

Yes!, the use of the ‘N word’ is a HORRIBLE, revolting thing, as are ANY and ALL derogatory words used to describe ANY of us - most ALL of us have used atleast ONE of these sadly degrading slang words at SOME point in our lives. NO!!, this does NOT excuse their use - FOR ANYONE! - and it is DEEPLY wrong to defend or ignore such use. HOWEVER!!!, HOW OFTEN do we hear the OTHER ‘N word’ used, and that word - for some ridiculous, completely CRAZY reason - is not only ACCEPTABLE but “COOL”, and that is the ‘NIGGA’ word??! Though this word is a DERIVATION of the original disgraceful ‘N word’, it is WIDELY USED by mostly blacks, but is “okay”, for some incomprehensible reason, for the use by ALL, and is now even used in addressing or referring to people of other races. 

Now, I KNOW for a FACT that this thought is not unique to me and alien to the rest of the world, INCLUDING blacks and MOSTLY black people who are older. The word ‘Nigga’ (among other slang words), to me, is disgusting, reprehensible and COMPLETELY inappropriate, and ESPECIALLY with my deep respect and love for the ELDERLY of the black population, and ALL people. I cannot even IMAGINE using this word in casual, everyday speech, and to call out OTHERS who use (and even not as a habit) the OTHER form of this word to address or refer to our black brothers and sisters throughout the United States and the rest of the world while ignoring use of the variation of it is a TOTAL DOUBLE-STANDARD and CONTRADICTION! To CRUCIFY John Schnatter for his mistakes and poor choices is COMPLETE INJUSTICE! I KNOW I stand with MANY OTHERS, INCLUDING many blacks, when I take a stand to say, “NO!!!!, this is absolutely UNACCEPTABLE!!!!!”

TO MY POINT, LISTEN:

https://youtu.be/SuuPb8-JDE8

As far as Mr. Schnatter taking a stand against the DEVOUTLY UNAMERICAN “taking of the knee” while our National Anthem is being performed as an act of RESPECT, REVERENCE and APPRECIATION for those who have “fought the good fight” to ensure our FREEDOM - in ANY SITUATION or CIRCUMSTANCE (and the flag burnings are another injustice and crime that should warrant not only IMPRISONMENT but EXCOMMUNICATION from our soil!) - he is ENTIRELY entitled to his opinion, and he saw the actions of these few who chose to exercise their disrespect as WRONG for our nation, not to mention what the fury over it would do for his sponsor, the National Football League, and hence sales for the company he’s toiled for YEARS to make what it is!

John Schnatter - ‘Papa John’ - has been the unfortunate and unfair SCAPEGOAT for several of the ILLS of ALL OF SOCIETY, and he DID NOT deserve to have to forfeit his position as Chair of the Board of the company HE CREATED, in great part, nor to have his name, photo and presence removed from all marketing materials and media involvement, office space in the corporate headquarters taken from him and the severing of communication and ties with the company and its employees, many of them friends (he IS still on the board, however.)

This petition is asking that Mr. Schnatter be reinstated to the aforementioned place within the company he and his wife own 1/3 ownership of, the replacement of the ‘Papa John’s Pizza’ signage that was previously on the Football Stadium they donated the majority of the funds to build, the continuation of his place in the advertising, marketing and publicity of the company, his previously occupied office space returned to him and a HUGE apology to him, his wife and their family for the immense embarrassment, turmoil and heartache that has been caused them these past several months. I know, and everyone else knows, that John Schnatter is not a “perfect” person and has made big mistakes for which he HAS suffered greatly, and I am CERTAIN he regrets words he has said, actions that were wrong and that he has learned a tough but necessary lesson. However, what has transpired this past nearly a year concerning him is ABSOLUTELY WRONG! Too, he is NO DIFFERENT from you and me who have made, and who continue to make, our FAIR SHARE of bad choices and failings for which we are, or we SHOULD be, regretful. 

I am also proposing a boycott of Papa Johns Pizza - ALL THROUGHOUT THE WORLD -  until the things laid out in this protest are dealt with in a SWIFT, FAIR AND HONEST manner. 

Thank you!

Donna L. Bayers