Campbell’s Exec Allegedly Called Product ‘Sh*t for Poor People,’ Lawsuit Claims
A bombshell lawsuit has rocked the Campbell Soup Company after a former employee alleged he was fired for reporting vulgar and derogatory remarks made by a top executive — including insults aimed at the company’s products and employees.
Robert Garza, a Michigan-based cybersecurity expert who worked remotely for Campbell’s, filed the lawsuit this week claiming wrongful termination. He said he was dismissed in January, just three weeks after reporting disturbing comments allegedly made by Chief Information Security Officer Martin Bally during an in-person meeting about a potential raise.
According to Garza, he secretly recorded a 75-minute meeting in which Bally unleashed a profanity-laced tirade.
“We have sht for fcking poor people. Who buys our sh*t? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore,” Bally allegedly said, according to the court filing.
The executive also reportedly criticized the ingredients used in Campbell’s products, claiming, “It’s not healthy now that I know what the f*ck’s in it,” and referenced “bioengineered meat” and “chicken that came from a 3-D printer.”
In a particularly explosive accusation, Bally is said to have made racist remarks about Indian employees: “Fcking Indians don’t know a fcking thing. They couldn’t think for their f*cking selves.”
Garza said he promptly reported the incident to his manager, but was fired 20 days later. He claimed he waited to go public in order to process the ordeal before pursuing legal action.
Campbell’s has not verified the authenticity of the audio but has placed Bally on temporary leave and released a statement condemning the alleged remarks.
“If the comments heard on the audio recording were in fact made by Mr. Bally, they are unacceptable,” the company said. “Such language does not reflect our values and the culture of our company. We do not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances.”
The company defended its food quality and workforce, calling the alleged comments “not only inaccurate — they are patently absurd.”
As the investigation unfolds, Bally’s fate at Campbell’s remains uncertain — and the company now faces serious questions about its internal culture and how it handles whistleblower complaints.