UofL to renew ties with disgraced Papa John’s founder

University of Louisville President Gerry Bradley said the university will rekindle its relationship with Papa John’s founder John Schnatter, which erupted in 2018 after Schnatter used a racial slur during a conference call. 

In a Thursday press release, Bradley said university administrators recently met with Schnatter and “learned a lot of facts and details regarding the circumstances that regrettably led to UofL parting ways with John in 2018.” 

Schnatter resigned as chairman of Papa John’s board in 2018 after using a slur that refers to Black people in a conference call. He had earlier resigned as CEO of the company following remarks in another call where he criticized the NFL for its response to players who had taken a knee during the national anthem.

UofL removed “Papa John’s” from the name of its football stadium in 2018. 

“While we recognize that the decisions made years ago were based on the information available at the time, we have gained a greater perspective of the facts that have emerged since then,” Bradley said. “Considering these developments, UofL now acknowledges the university would have approached the situation differently based on our current understanding and believe the best path forward is to unite in our shared commitment to supporting UofL.”

Schnatter is a former member of UofL’s Board of Trustees, the press release said. He also contributed to the creation of the football stadium and the John H. Schnatter Center for Free Enterprise.

The press release said the discussion between university officials and Schnatter “have revealed a desire to re-engage with the university, an appreciation of UofL’s recently adopted five-year strategic plan and an alignment with Bradley’s stated vision for UofL.”

Schnatter was a rumored candidate for Kentucky governor in 2023, but he did not file to run.