A top executive at Campbell’s Soup Company is facing scrutiny after a former employee filed a lawsuit claiming he was pushed out for reporting a recording taken during a private meeting.
The audio allegedly captures an hour-long tirade containing vulgar criticism of Campbell’s customers, offensive remarks about Indian employees and an admission of working while high—raising broader questions about the company’s workplace culture.
According to ClickOnDetroit, the complaint was filed by Robert Garza, who began working remotely as a security analyst for Campbell’s Camden headquarters in September 2024.
Garza said he met Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer Martin Bally at a restaurant to discuss salary matters but quickly sensed the conversation was unusual. Acting on instinct, he started recording.
According to the lawsuit, Bally used the meeting to ridicule the very people who buy the company’s products.
At one point, the executive said, “We have sh*t for f*cking poor people. Who buys our sh*t? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore,” he said, according to The Blaze.
“It’s not healthy now that I know what the f*ck’s in it,” he continued, before criticizing “bioengineered meat” and adding, “I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer.”
The recording also reportedly captured Bally disparaging Indian employees within the company.
He allegedly said, “F*cking Indians don’t know a f*cking thing… like they couldn’t think for their f*cking selves.”
Garza described the comments as leaving him “pure disgust” and said they were well beyond acceptable professional behavior.
The lawsuit further alleges that Bally admitted during the same meeting that he often came to work high on marijuana edibles. Garza held onto the recording for a short time, unsure of how Campbell’s would react if he reported it.
Garza said he ultimately brought the recording to his direct supervisor, J.D. Aupperle, in January.
His attorney, Zachary Runyan, said Garza believed he was fulfilling his duty as an employee. Instead, Garza claims he was terminated less than three weeks later.
Runyan described the firing as clear retaliation.
“He went to his boss and said, ‘Martin is saying this about Indian co-workers we have. He’s saying this about people who buy our food—who keep our company open, and I don’t think that should be allowed.’ And the response to Robert sticking up for other people is he gets fired, which is ridiculous,” Runyan said.
Garza said the dismissal shocked him, particularly because Bally had praised his performance earlier that same day. Runyan added that Garza had no prior disciplinary actions or performance warnings before the termination.
The lawsuit accuses Campbell’s Soup Company of fostering a racially hostile work environment and retaliating against an employee who reported misconduct.
Garza said he never received follow-up from Human Resources and spent nearly a year searching for new employment after his dismissal.
In response to the lawsuit, Campbell’s Soup Company said, “If accurate, the comments in the recording are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values and the culture of our company. We are actively investigating this matter.”
Public records and Bally’s LinkedIn profile show he has served as Campbell’s vice president and chief information security officer since January 2022. Bally, Aupperle and Campbell’s Soup Company are named as defendants in the lawsuit.
The outcome of this lawsuit could have significant implications for Campbell’s Soup Company, as it faces scrutiny over its workplace culture, accountability and handling of employee complaints.
As the case proceeds, both the company’s internal practices and the alleged actions of its executives will remain under close public and legal examination.
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