Louisville, KY — Simmons College, an HBCU in Kentucky, has reportedly declined $1 million in scholarship funds that Papa John’s Pizza founder John Schnatter donated earlier this month. As a result, 10 students who were initially promised the scholarship will no longer receive the funds and they are disappointed.
However, the administrators at Simmons College said an internal problem between the company and its founder is what really caused the cancellation of the scholarship donation.
“It felt as though someone has taken weapons of mass destruction and flown them into the hopes and dreams and aspirations of some of America’s most vulnerable students,” said President Rev. Kevin Cosby about the company’s apparent decision to no longer make the donation.
But then, the restaurant chain claimed that the administrators at the college were the ones who rejected the scholarship funds through email.
“Thank you for our discussions on how to help support the students of Simmons College of Kentucky,” Von Purdy, Simmons’ director of development said in the email that was recently released. “In light of recent news, it is best to decline your scholarships at this time and perhaps look at other ways to partner in the future.”
Still, the college maintained that the email was sent only because a Papa John’s executive told them to do so.
Despite what appears to be a miscommunication, Papa John’s reportedly made a donation of $30,000 to the college. It has yet been clear if the donation will go toward the students’ scholarships.
Prior to that, John Schnatter, the founder and former chairman of Papa John’s Pizza, donated $1 million to Simmons College. It comes about a year after he was forced to step down as chairman of the restaurant chain after he allegedly used the n‑word during a meeting.