Sandwich chain Subway has completed its investigation into its disgraced former spokesman Jared Fogle, saying that its review of the case revealed a 2011 complaint that “was not properly escalated or acted upon.”
In a statement Friday, a brand spokesperson said that a complaint was submitted to Subway’s website in 2011 “that expressed concerns about Mr. Fogle.
“Although the complaint was serious, there was nothing that implied anything about sexual behavior or criminal activity involving Mr. Fogle,” the spokesperson said. “We regret that this comment was not properly escalated or acted upon.”
The statement did not elaborate further on the nature of the complaint.
According to the spokesperson, the company’s investigation included an “extensive review of more than one million comments submitted to the company’s customer relations team, [a] review of all available documents, and interviews with past and present Company and Franchisee Advertising Fund employees and management.”
The company came under scrutiny last month, when the lawyer for a former Subway franchise owner claimed that Cindy Mills alerted the then-head of the Subway Franchisee Advertising Fund Trust in 2008 that Fogle had talked to her about having paid for sex in Thailand.
Fogle is expected to plead guilty to the possession of child pornography and having sex with minors. Subway suspended Fogle when it learned of the investigation, and subsequently ended its relationship with Fogle.
“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 statement continued, adding: “The harm [Fogle] caused so many is inexcusable and we continue to extend sympathies to his victims and their families.”
