Papa John’s founder John Schnatter told the pizza chain’s board of directors he made a mistake when he stepped down as chairman amid news reports he used a racial slur—the N-word—during a conference call in May. In a letter to Papa John’s board, Schnatter complained he was pressured to resign without any investigation, based on “rumor and innuendo.” Schnatter had already stepped down as CEO of the pizza chain earlier this year, after he claimed that NFL player protests during the national anthem—which have been led by African-American players—were hurting his pizza sales.