Campbell’s VP-IT Out After Anti-Indian Remarks Go Public
Campbell’s, the iconic American food giant, has confirmed the dismissal of Vice President of Information Technology and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Martin Bally, following the emergence of a secret audio recording containing vulgar, racist comments targeting Indian workers and derogatory remarks about the company’s own products and customers.
The shocking details came to light through a wrongful termination lawsuit filed by a former employee, pushing corporate conduct and internal culture into the spotlight.
The Lawsuit and the Secret Recording
The controversy originated with a legal complaint filed in a Michigan court by Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst at Campbell’s.
Robert alleges he met Martin in November 2024 to discuss his salary, but the conversation devolved into an expletive-filled tirade which Robert secretly recorded.
The recording, which Campbell’s later confirmed was authentic, allegedly captured Martin making deeply offensive statements, including referring to the company’s products as “highly processed food” and “shit for fucking poor people.”
Robert claims he was “abruptly terminated” in January 2025, weeks after reporting Martin’s behavior to his supervisor, leading to the lawsuit alleging retaliatory dismissal.
Nature of the Remarks and Alleged Retaliation
The core of the offense lies in Martin’s alleged racist comments.
The recording reportedly includes Martin disparaging the competence of Indian colleagues, purportedly stating that they “couldn’t think for their fucking selves” and referring to them as “idiots.”
Additionally, Martin claimed the company’s soup utilized “bioengineered meat” or “chicken that came from a 3D printer,” which the company vehemently denies.
Robert’s suit alleges he reported the incident to his manager, J.D. Aupperle, but was not encouraged to escalate the matter to Human Resources before his subsequent firing, which his legal team claims was a direct act of retaliation for exposing the executive’s conduct.
Campbell’s Swift Response and Broader Fallout
After the lawsuit and recording became public, Campbell’s moved quickly, initially placing Bally on leave before confirming his termination on November 26, 2025.
In a public statement, the company apologized for the hurt caused, asserting, “The comments were vulgar, offensive and false… This behavior does not reflect our values and the culture of our company.”
While addressing the personnel crisis, Campbell’s also had to contend with the product claims, with the Florida Attorney General announcing an investigation into the company’s food quality.
Campbell’s strongly reiterated that its soups use “100% real chicken” from USDA-approved suppliers, dismissing the product claims as “patently absurd.”
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