Subway Warned About Jared Fogle? Why Company Didn’t Act [Video]
Popular sandwich franchise Subway has reportedly received a tip that something was “off” about Jared Fogle a few years ago. The news has upset those following the Subway scandal, but the company insists that there’s a valid reason they didn’t follow through with further investigations into Jared Fogle. Quite simply, the complaint in question was too vague.
Subway recently completed a thorough internal investigation to determine if the company had been warned about Jared Fogle’s alleged criminal behaviors. According to ABC News, the company discovered a 2011 complaint against Jared. Subway spokeswoman Kristen McMahon said former Florida-based journalist Rochelle Herman-Walrond reached out to Subway. Allegedly she merely indicated the company should look into him without being specific.
Jared Fogle: Subway Review Finds “Serious” Complaint About Former Pitchman http://t.co/XPHEI7Kcir pic.twitter.com/6qeaZrmWq1
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) September 12, 2015
Despite the vagueness of the complaint, the woman who made it is highly significant to the ongoing scandal with Subway and Jared Fogle. Herman-Walrond said she worked closely with the FBI, recording Jared Fogle and his allegedly disturbing child molestation practices. The former reporter says her participation is what led to Fogle’s arrest. If Rochelle had information that was pertinent to the case, it was possible she was limited from providing any further details due to working with the FBI.
Business Insider notes that Subway had previously claimed no knowledge of any criminal or deviant behaviors on the part of Jared Fogle. However, recent revelations are calling such claims into question. Former Subway franchisee Cindy Mills said she warned company executives in 2008. Rochelle alleges she reached out to Subway with the same information about a year later. For whatever reason, no action was taken by Subway to separate itself from Jared Fogle until after the child molestation scandal hit.
Subway acknowledged in a statement that it failed to address previous concerns about Jared Fogle, something the brand seems to regret.
“It is important to note that the investigation found no further evidence of any other complaints of any kind regarding Mr. Fogle that were submitted to or shared with SUBWAY.”
The Associated Press attempted to reach out to Rochelle Herman-Walrond for further comments, but their calls were not immediately returned. They were also unable to obtain a comment from Jared Fogle (via his attorneys) on this latest revelation.
The nature of Jared Fogle’s arrest coupled with how Subway has handled the incident leaves many consumers unhappy with the sandwich chain. Now that the company has admitted that there was a request to investigate Jared years before this situation went public, Subway’s lack of diligence may have further tarnished its brand.
[Photo by Joey Foley/Getty Images]
