News

Papa John's Schnatter tells court comments 'taken out of context'

October 2, 2018

Papa John's founder John Schnatter appeared in a Wilmington, Delaware, courtroom Monday in his efforts to see company documents he believes detailed why he was ousted from his board chairmanship at the Louisville-based company this past summer. A Delaware News Journal report said that Schnatter is asking the court for access to internal emails and meeting minutes about the ouster. The case was filed in Delaware because Papa John's, like many other large companies, is also incorporated in the business-friendly state.

The Delaware County Chancery Court case has given Schnatter's take on his ouster plenty of news coverage today following his testimony that he surrendered the chairmanship at leadership's request to curb the widespread negative publicity. That "bad press" came on heavy after the July 2018 news that Schnatter used a racial slur on a media training call. 

Now Schnatter wants to see the internal documents from that time period to see what Papa John's leadership had discussed around the issue. Schnatter — who still has 30 percent interest in the company — is ultimately seeking the documents in order to regain control of the company he founded. 

Monday's testimony had Schnatter portraying himself as a victim of company leadership determined to push him out. He repeatedly claiming that everything from his well-publicized comments against the NFL last year to allegations he used the "N-word" on a sensitivity training calls were taken out of context. He alleges that they were all part of the company's campaign to push him out. 

Schnatter's requests for the documents at the center of the Delaware case were received and denied by Papa John's attorneys and the Corporation Trust Company, Papa John's registered agent in Delaware.