by Keka Araújo
November 25, 2025
Black–owned food company Goode Food’s CEO came through with a word for folks.
A massive corporate upheaval is underway at the Campbell Soup Company after a federal lawsuit revealed an explosive audio recording in which a vice resident allegedly delivered a racist, classist, and profane tirade about coworkers and the quality—or lack thereof—regarding the company’s food products.
The lawsuit, filed by former security analyst Robert Garza last week in Wayne County, Michigan, accused Campbell’s of retaliatory termination after Garza reported the contents of the recording, prompting the company to place the executive on immediate leave.
Racial Slurs and Customer Derision Aired
According to the complaint, Garza recorded Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer Martin Bally during a November 2024 meeting that quickly devolved from a salary discussion into an hour-long, unhinged rant. The recording reportedly captured Bally making multiple derogatory remarks about employees of Indian descent.
The lawsuit claims Bally labeled Indian employees as “idiots” and claimed they “couldn’t think for their f–ing selves.”
In addition to the alleged racial remarks, the executive reportedly mocked the company’s customer base and products, stating: “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—‘s in it.”
Bally also allegedly joked he avoided the company’s chicken soup because the meat came from a “3-D printer” and admitted to using marijuana edibles before coming to work. Garza said he kept the recording for weeks out of “pure disgust,” needing time to process the content. In January 2025, he said that he reported Bally’s behavior—specifically the racist remarks—to his supervisor, JD Aupperle.
On Jan. 30, 2025, Garza, who had no prior disciplinary actions or formal write-ups during his employment, was abruptly terminated. “He had never had any disciplinary action; they had never written him up for work performance,” Garza’s lawyer, Zachary Runyan, said.
Garza’s lawsuit asserted he was fired in retaliation for disclosing the vice president’s gross misconduct and accused the corporation of maintaining a racially hostile work environment. The ex-employee received no follow-up from human resources or any other company representative regarding an investigation or explanation for his termination.
In a statement, Campbell’s confirmed the upheaval. “We want to make sure you know the facts. Robert Garza, a former Campbell’s employee, recently released an alleged audio recording of him speaking with Campbell’s VP of Information Technology, Martin Bally, in connection with a lawsuit Mr. Garza filed against the company.
“If the comments heard on the audio recording were in fact made by Mr. Bally, they are unacceptable. Such language does not reflect our values and the culture of our company. We do not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances. Mr. Bally is temporarily on leave while we conduct an investigation,” the statement continued.
“We are proud of the food we make, the people who make it and the high-quality ingredients we use to provide consumers with good food at a good value. We know that millions of people use Campbell’s products, and we’re honored by the trust they put in us. The comments heard on the recording about our food are not only inaccurate—they are patently absurd. The chicken meat in our soups comes from long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high-quality standards. All our soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat. Any claims to the contrary are completely false.
“Keep in mind, the alleged comments heard on the audio were made by a person in IT, who has nothing to do with how we make our food.”
Black–owned food company Goode Food’s CEO came through with a word for folks who sought great-quality, affordable, non-GMO foods from a non-bigoted company.
“The Campbell’s Soup VP got caught mocking the same people who keep their lights on… and admitting their products aren’t even real food. This is exactly why family-owned brands matter. We don’t hide. We show up. We answer. We care,” the Instagram caption read. “Corporate America treats food like a science experiment—families treat it like nourishment. Choose brands that actually respect you. #campbell #grocery #food.”
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