John Schnatter, the founder of famous pizza chain Papa John’s, is donating $1 million to Simmons College more than a year after he was fired from the pizza chain for using the N-word.
According to The Hill, Schnatter donated the money to the historically black college, which prompted a Twitter response from the school’s president, the Rev. Kevin Cosby.
“John is making and will continue to make an important difference,” Cosby said in a statement, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal. “His support will have a profound impact on Simmons’ capacity to serve our city, state, and nation.”
“It’s been a pleasure to work with Dr. Cosby and Dr. Tolbert to learn about the important work they are doing in our community,” said Schnatter in a statement. “I’m proud to support their efforts to help lift up those who want to better their own lives and the lives of those around them.”
Simmons College, which is located in Louisville, is the only private HBCU in Kentucky.
The news comes after Schnatter resigned as the chairman of Louisville-based pizza franchise in July of 2018 after it was reported that he used a racial slur during a conference call while engaging in an exercise on handling public relations. He allegedly used the N-word after being asked how he would distance himself from racist groups.
