An explosive lawsuit has put The Campbell's Company, formerly known as Campbell Soup Co., under scrutiny following allegations of offensive remarks made by one of its senior executives. Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst at the company, filed the suit in Wayne County Circuit Court on Nov. 20, claiming he was a victim of racial discrimination and racial harassment, USA Today reports.
During a meeting last November meant to be about his salary, Garza alleges that Martin Bally, the company's vice president of information technology, made disparaging comments about the company's products and Indian workers. The controversy swelled after a recording of the conversation was leaked, in which Bally is heard saying, "We have s--t for f**king poor people," and disparaging comments about consuming "bioengineered meat," according to a report by Local 4.
The incident escalated when Garza was abruptly terminated from his position on Jan. 30, a move he believes was retaliatory for reporting the inappropriate remarks. Garza's attorney, Zachary Runyan, says, "He had never had any disciplinary action; they had never written him up for work performance," indicating a spotless record before the firing, as per the interview with Local 4.
The Campbell's Company has since responded to the allegations. "We are proud of the food we make and the people who make it, and the high-quality ingredients we use," the company stated, rejecting the validity of the remarks heard in the secret recording and emphasizing that their soups are made with "No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat," according to a statement the company issued bolstering its defense which was released following the negative publicity. Campbell’s has further stated that Bally, who called Campbell’s food "highly process food" for "poor people," has been placed on leave pending an internal investigation, as mentioned in USA Today.
The lawsuit, which seeks damages for emotional, economic, and non-economic harms, also implicates J.D. Aupperle, Garza's manager, who, according to the lawsuit, did not encourage Garza to take the matter to human resources. The story sets a harsh contrast with the company's publicly touted ethos, as Garza told Local 4, "They have a motto: ‘We treat you like family here at Campbell’s — come work for us. We treat our employees like family.’ That’s not the case."
