Associated Press

NEW YORK

Papa John’s, which has featured founder John Schnatter as a spokesman in logos and TV ads, has begun pulling his image from its marketing and pledged to assess its diversity practices in response to his use of a racial slur.

Schnatter’s face was off some materials by Friday, though the pizza chain said there are no plans to change its name.

Schnatter is still on the board and is the company’s largest shareholder – meaning he remains a key presence.

CEO Steve Ritchie said Friday the company will retain an outside expert to audit its processes related to diversity and inclusion.

And he said senior managers will hold “listening sessions” to give employees a platform for any concerns.

“Papa John’s is not an individual. Papa John’s is a pizza company with 120,000 corporate and franchise team members around the world,” he said in a statement.

Schnatter came under fire this week after a Forbes report that he used the N-word during a media training conference call in May. When asked how he would distance himself from racist groups, Schnatter reportedly complained that Colonel Sanders never faced a backlash for using the word.

Schnatter subsequently said he would resign as chairman and issued a statement of apology acknowledging the use of “inappropriate and hurtful” language.

In a radio interview with WHAS in Louisville on Friday, Schnatter said he was “just talking the way that the Colonel talked.”

He said the comment was taken out of context but that he nevertheless felt “sick” about the incident.

“I said it, and it’s wrong,” he said.