Campbell Soup Company is under scrutiny following a lawsuit filed November 20 in Wayne County Circuit Court by former security analyst Robert Garza, who claims he was terminated after reporting comments made by a senior executive during a private meeting in late 2024.
Garza alleges the comments included [1] derogatory remarks about customers, statements about Campbell products, and comments about co-workers.
According to the complaint and statements Garza provided to local media, the allegations center on a recorded meeting between Garza and Martin Bally, Campbell’s Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer.
Garza said the meeting took place at a restaurant and that he believed the purpose was to discuss his salary.
Garza said Bally used the meeting to criticize Campbell’s customers and make claims about the company’s products.
In the recording, Bally said, “We have sh*t for f**king poor people,” followed by, “Who buys our sh*t?”
Bally also said, “I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore. It’s not healthy now that I know what the f**k’s in it.”
He added, “Bioengineered meat! I don’t wanna eat a f**king piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer.”
BREAKING: Campbell Soup’s VP and Chief Information Security Officer, Martin Bally, was secretly recorded saying the company uses bioengineered meat, their products aren’t healthy, and that it’s mostly poor people who buy them.
“We have shit for fucking poor people. Who buys… pic.twitter.com/zSUPlDyGoU [2]
— I Meme Therefore I Am (@ImMeme0) November 24, 2025 [3]
Garza said the recording also captured Bally making statements about Indians, including, “F**king Indians don’t know a f**king thing,” and, “Like they couldn’t think for their f**king selves.”
Garza told Newsweek and local outlets that he kept the recording for several weeks before reporting Bally’s remarks to his supervisor, J.D. Aupperle, in January 2025.
Garza said he did so because he believed co-workers referenced in the remarks were being mistreated. His attorney, Zachary Runyan, told Local 4 that Garza “was really sticking up for other people.”
According to the lawsuit, Garza was fired on January 30, 2025, approximately 20 days after raising his concerns.
Runyan said Garza had no prior disciplinary record and had not been written up for performance issues.
Newsweek reported that Campbell Soup Company issued a statement acknowledging the allegations and addressing Bally’s reported comments.
“If the recording is legitimate, the comments are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values and the culture of our company,” the company said.
The statement confirmed that Bally “is temporarily on leave while we conduct an investigation.”
Campbell also disputed the content of Bally’s recorded remarks regarding the company’s products.
“We are proud of the food we make, the people who make it and the high-quality ingredients we use. The comments on the recording are not only inaccurate—they are patently absurd.”
The company added that Bally “is an IT person, who has nothing to do with how we make our food.”
The lawsuit seeks damages related to Garza’s termination and alleges retaliation under state employment laws.
The case is pending in Wayne County Circuit Court.