The video above is from a story that aired Wednesday.
Stan Richards, the founder of The Richards Group, is stepping away from all operations at the Dallas-based ad agency following controversial comments he made during an internal meeting.
“If this was a publicly held company, I’d be fired for the comments I made. But we’re not public, so I am firing myself,” Richards said in a written statement on Thursday. “Our employees, first and foremost, deserve that.”
During an internal meeting, Stan Richards reportedly commented that a proposed ad campaign celebrating Black artists was "too Black" and would turn off Motel 6's "white supremacist constituents," Ad Age first reported on Tuesday.
Carrollton-based Motel 6 said The Richards Group informed them of the comments, and the motel chain decided to sever ties shortly after.
Other advertising customers, including Home Depot, also announced they were ending their relationships with the company once the comments came to light.
RELATED: 'We are outraged': Motel 6 ends relationship with The Richards Group over 'hateful comments'
“I made a mistake. The biggest mistake of my life. One I will never be able to adequately explain or take back. All I can say is that I was wrong,” Richards said in the statement.
Glen Dady, a creative director at the agency, will assume full responsibility for the agency's operation. Dady had been named Richards' successor in late 2019 and has been with the agency for 40 years.
"As the person now responsible for all the operations of The Richards Group going forward, I commit to doing everything in my power to stay focused on that goal," Dady said in a statement Wednesday "We can only ask for forgiveness and promise to learn and be better.”
Additionally, The Richards Group announced six new initiatives to address diversity, equity and inclusion.
The agency's plans include creating a new position to address decisions about diversity, equity and inclusion, making a commitment to a certain level of representation across workgroups, auditing current policies for equity, conducting bias training for all employee, reviewing current work for cultural relevancy, and tracking their progress.