Campbell’s Co. has terminated Martin Bally, a vice president of information technology, following allegations that he criticized the company’s products and made racist remarks.
According to a lawsuit filed on November 20 in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court by former employee Robert Garza, Bally referred to Campbell’s products as highly processed food for “poor people” and called Indian co-workers “idiots.”
The company said the comments do not reflect its values or culture, and that such language will not be tolerated.
The allegations stem from a lawsuit filed November 20 by former employee Robert Garza in Michigan’s Wayne County Circuit Court. Garza, who was hired in September 2024 as a cybersecurity analyst, said the remarks occurred during a salary discussion in November 2024.
In responding to the recording, Campbell’s stated, “The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused.” The company added that it first learned of the litigation and heard portions of the audio on November 20. Bally was previously placed on temporary leave while the investigation took place.
Bally did not respond to requests for comment.
Garza’s filing quotes Bally as saying, “We have s–t for f–king poor people. Who buys our s–t? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore.”
“It’s not healthy now that I know what the f–k’s in it. Bioengineered meat — I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer.”
“F–king Indians don’t know a f–king thing. They couldn’t think for their f–king themselves.”
Campbell’s emphasized that it does not condone such remarks, and that its decision reflects its commitment to upholding corporate values and workplace respect.
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