(AP) — Purdue University is dropping the name of the Papa John’s founder from an economic research center amid controversy over his use of a racial slur.
Purdue officials said Friday that school is offering to return John Schnatter’s $8 million donation that was announced in April with the renaming of its Research Center in Economics.
Purdue says the action is needed to prevent what it calls “counterproductive division on the campus” and any appearance of deviating from the school’s stance on tolerance and racial relations.
Schnatter has been under fire since Forbes reported last month that he used the N-word during a media training conference call. He has apologized for using the word, but said it was taken out of context.
Ball State University announced earlier Friday that it was keeping Schnatter’s name on a school business program, while the University of Louisville last month removed his name from a similar center.