Today the Tampa Bay Rays issued the following statement:
We support the recent actions taken by Papa John's corporate headquarters to remove John Schnatter from the company. Racism has no place in society, and we condemn Mr. Schnatter's remarks. Papa John's corporate team has committed to taking significant action steps to move beyond this incident, including a third-party audit of processes, policies and systems related to diversity and inclusion, supplier engagement and Papa John's culture; as well as establishing transparent goals and a communication process to monitor them that will be applied across all stores.
Since 2002, the Rays have had a positive, mutually beneficial partnership with local Papa John's owner-operators. We have worked collaboratively in our community and share a dedication to making a positive impact on our neighbors, including frequent donations of food to shared community partners, such as Feeding Tampa Bay, Habitat for Humanity, Ronald McDonald House and CASA. With the commitment from the corporate office to initiate change, and our history of positive collaboration in mind, we welcome the opportunity to continue to work with the local owner-operators in Tampa Bay to bring exciting and valuable promotions to our fans, and to expand our combined community efforts.