Deposed Papa John’s founder John Schnatter has presented evidence that public relations firm Laundry Service intentionally triggered his ouster after Schnatter used the N-word during a training call.
Here is the lawsuit detailing Schnatter’s claims of breach of contract and malicious conduct by Laundry Service (aka Wasserman Media Group, LLC).
Schnatter contends that he was made to think that he was on a business strategy call and that Laundry Service associates turned it into a race-focused call, coerced Schnatter’s comments on race, and then continued recording themselves discussing how to use Schnatter’s comments against him.
From Schnatter’s lawsuit vs. Laundry Service:
“34. Unbeknownst to Mr. Schnatter, Laundry Service recorded the call. However, Laundry Service continued recording after Mr. Schnatter hung up, and captured internal discussions between senior Laundry Service employees (including Stein, its CEO at the time) directly after the call ended. Those discussions are shocking. Laundry Service immediately began to discuss how Mr. Schnatter’s statements on the call could be used against him to damage his image so “he gets fucking sent out to pasture on this shit” (in Stein’s words). The plan, according to the recorded conversation, was to arrange for Mr. Schnatter to have an hour- long live interview with a hostile media personality and prompt Mr. Schnatter to make damaging statements which need “to be viral.”
Listen to audio of the Laundry Service people talking among themselves after Schnatter referenced Colonel Harland Sanders using the N-word without repercussions. Schnatter did not say the phrase “N-word,” he said the actual word during the phone call.
Here is the full transcript of the conference call with John Schnatter, Laundry Service personnel, and Schnatter’s associate Steve Ritchie.
Complete AUDIO of the hourlong conference call.
Former FBI director Louis Freeh put together a 2020 investigative report that claimed Schnatter’s comments cannot “reasonably be interpreted to reflect any racial bias, prejudice, or disrespect for African Americans or people of color.”
Schnatter released a statement with the other materials, stating “It’s a major relief to finally have more facts that reveal the truth of what really happened. Now the full recording is public, and people have the full picture. Everyone can hear for themselves how I was raised to totally reject racism. The American people can hear for themselves that the Laundry Service staff were laughing about setting me up to take a fall.”
Here is the conversation I had on WHAS radio with John Schnatter just as the initial controversy exploded across America.
