Fogle’s ex says Subway knew about her husband’s crimes and did nothing

When the general public found out about the secret sins of Subway spokesman Jared Fogle, they were unilaterally disgusted. Subway quickly distanced its brand from the guy who’d been the face of the company for nearly two decades, and Fogle went to jail on multiple charges related to pedophilia. Everyone was disgusted, but at least it was over … right?


Not so fast. Now Fogle’s ex-wife, Katie McLaughlin, is lashing out at Subway in a lawsuit alleging the company knew about Fogle’s proclivities and activities but covered them up to keep their star bringing in the cash. They knew, McLaughlin alleges, as early as 2004, but hid the facts from anyone and everyone, because Fogle was a huge earner for the company.

According to the lawsuit, McLaughlin says she and her children suffered emotional distress because she was unaware of Fogle’s behavior when she married him in 2010 and that Subway profited at the expense of Katie and her children. According to the complaint:
“A responsible corporation would take immediate action when hearing of this behavior, even if it was only allegations… Subway failed every test of corporate responsibility in its response to each of these complaints.”

McLaughlin told the press it was “beyond comprehension” to learn that her husband was a serial child predator. She said she would have to answer “a lot of questions” asked by her children one day, and said that the suit was, in part, to get answers to those questions, including when Subway knew and how much they knew … what could they have protected her and her children from.

At the heart of the lawsuit is an alleged phone conversation between Subway franchisee Cindy Mills and CEO Jeff Moody back in 2008. According to the suit, Mills told Moody Fogle admitted he “really liked them young” before going on to say he’d had sexual encounters with minors between the ages of 9 and 16.

According to the suit, Moody responded to these allegations by telling Mills to stop talking and assured her that all was well, because “(Fogle) has met someone… She is a teacher, and he seems to love her very much, and we think she will keep him grounded.”

The suit alleges Moody swept any crimes under the rug hoping they would go away. McLaughlin says had she known then what she knows now, the marriage would have never happened and she would not have to go through the emotional distress, and public humiliation she has faced since the story about Fogle broke in the news.

David Milberg is a financial analyst in NYC.