SAN ANGELO, TX — John Schnatter has been featured at the center of the chains logo and TV ads but his image is getting tossed after reports he used the ‘N’ word during a conference call back in May. We spoke to a business ethics expert who says ‘whether we like it or not, a person who is a founder, a president, or a face of a company is perceived also speaking on behalf of their organization.
“This idea that somehow the person and the opinion are the same is really getting in the way of us being able to share our opinions and work on the problem,” said Dr. Christopher Gilbert, author of There’s No Right Way To Do the Wrong Thing, and international ethics consultant. “Our language is in many ways a part of that nobility that we have so once we dumb-down or vulgar-up the language that we use I think we’re actually even ourselves becoming less noble.”
John Schnatter apologized and stepped down as chairman, he’s still on the company’s board and is Papa Johns largest shareholder with nearly 30 percent of the stock.