Campbell’s Lawsuit Explodes,Today Update VP Fired After Shocking “Poor People” Recording Triggers $$$M Legal Case
Campbell’s fired Vice President Martin Bally on November 26, 2025, after a former cybersecurity analyst secretly recorded him calling the company’s soup products food for “poor people” and making racist comments about Indian employees. The lawsuit, Garza v. Campbell Soup Company (Case No. 25-018465-CD), was filed November 20, 2025, in Wayne County Circuit Court by former employee Robert Garza, who claims he was fired in retaliation for reporting Bally’s behavior. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a state investigation into Campbell’s over claims the company uses lab-grown meat, which is banned in Florida.
What Is the Campbell’s Lawsuit About?
Robert Garza was hired by Campbell’s as a cybersecurity analyst in September 2024 and met with Martin Bally in November 2024 for what he thought would be a salary discussion. Instead, Garza recorded over an hour and 15 minutes of Bally’s remarks, which included attacks on Campbell’s products, racist comments about Indian employees, and claims about bioengineered ingredients.
In the recording, Bally allegedly said Campbell’s products were highly processed food for “poor people” and made derogatory comments about Indian coworkers, calling them “idiots” who “couldn’t think for their f—ing selves”. Bally also claimed he sometimes came to work under the influence of marijuana.
The Explosive Recording: What Bally Actually Said
According to the lawsuit, Bally said “We have s–t for f—ing poor people. Who buys our s–t? I don’t buy Campbell’s products barely anymore”. Bally referenced “bioengineered meat” and stated “I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer”.
Local 4 news in Detroit interviewed Garza and played portions of the recording on air, confirming Bally’s expletive-filled rant about the company’s products being unhealthy.
Timeline of the Campbell’s Lawsuit
September 2024: Robert Garza hired as Campbell’s cybersecurity analyst
November 2024: Garza meets with Martin Bally and secretly records the conversation
January 10, 2025: Garza informs his manager J.D. Aupperle about Bally’s comments; Aupperle allegedly does not encourage him to report to HR
January 30, 2025: Garza is “abruptly terminated from employment” just weeks after reporting the comments
November 20, 2025: Garza files lawsuit in Wayne County Circuit Court; Campbell’s learns of litigation and first hears audio segments
November 24, 2025: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announces investigation into Campbell’s over lab-grown meat claims
November 25, 2025: Campbell’s places Bally on temporary administrative leave pending investigation
November 26, 2025: Campbell’s confirms Bally’s voice on recording and fires him effective Tuesday
Who Are the Parties in This Lawsuit?
Plaintiff:
- Robert Garza of Monroe County, Michigan, former Cyber Security Analyst at Campbell’s
- Represented by attorney Zachary Runyan of Runyan Law Group
Defendants:
- Campbell’s Soup Company (based in Camden, New Jersey)
- Martin Bally, former Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer
- J.D. Aupperle, Director of Cybersecurity Operations (Garza’s former manager)
The Legal Claims Explained
Under Michigan law, Garza asserts allegations of employment discrimination and race-based retaliation. The lawsuit accuses Aupperle and Bally of firing Garza in retaliation for reporting the alleged comments and claims the company maintained a racially hostile work environment.
The complaint contends Garza was terminated in retaliation for reporting discrimination based on race. Garza’s lawsuit alleges he suffered stress, humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish as a result of Bally and Aupperle’s actions.
Campbell’s Response and Martin Bally’s Firing
Campbell’s issued a statement on November 26, 2025, noting the company learned of the litigation and first heard segments of the audio on November 20, 2025. Campbell’s stated that “neither Mr. Garza nor his lawyer ever notified us of the existence of an audio recording”.
Campbell’s released a statement saying “The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused. This behavior does not reflect our values and the culture of our company, and we will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances”.
After a review of the recording, Campbell’s confirmed the voice belongs to Martin Bally, who as of Tuesday no longer works at the company.
Campbell’s Defends Its Products
Campbell’s refuted the claim its soups are made with bioengineered meat and emphasized the alleged comments were made by someone in IT “who has nothing to do with how the soup is made”.
Campbell’s issued a statement saying “We use 100% real chicken in our soups. The chicken meat comes from long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and meets our high-quality standards. All of our soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat”.
A Campbell’s spokesperson told Newsweek the comments about their food are “not only inaccurate—they are patently absurd”.
Florida State Investigation Adds Pressure
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on X (formerly Twitter) that Florida’s Consumer Protection division is launching an investigation and will “demand answers from Campbell’s”. Uthmeier stated “We don’t do the fake, lab grown meat here in Florida. We’ll enforce the law and shut down!”
Florida’s ban on lab-grown meat was signed into law in 2024 by Governor Ron DeSantis. DeSantis stated when signing the legislation: “Today, Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals”.
What Garza’s Attorney Says
Garza’s attorney Zachary Runyan stated “This situation has been very hard on Robert. He thought Campbell’s would be thankful that he reported Martin’s behavior, but instead he was abruptly fired”.
Runyan told Local 4 News: “He was really sticking up for other people. He went to his boss and said, ‘Martin is saying this about Indian coworkers 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 says Garza had never been disciplined and “had never had any disciplinary action, they had never written him up for work performance”.
Why Garza Recorded the Meeting
Garza told Local 4 News he recorded the conversation because he trusted his “instinct that something wasn’t right with Martin” when he went to meet with him about his salary. Garza said of Bally: “He has no filter. He thinks he’s a C-level executive at a Fortune 500 company and he can do whatever he wants because he’s an executive”.
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”.
The Manager’s Role: J.D. Aupperle Still Employed
Campbell’s said Wednesday that Aupperle remains employed by the company. The lawsuit claims that Garza had informed his manager about Bally’s comments but was not given clear directions on how to proceed with a Human Resources complaint.
Damages Sought in the Lawsuit
Garza is seeking monetary damages from the company. The lawsuit claims Garza has suffered mental, emotional and financial damage since his firing.
Garza is seeking monetary damages from Campbell’s, Bally, and from his former manager J.D. Aupperle.
Expert Analysis: PR Crisis Management
Larry Kopp, chairman and founder of The TASC Group, a strategic communications and public relations company, stated Campbell’s should have fired Bally and reached a settlement with Garza as soon as it learned of the incident. Kopp said “If they had settled they would not be in this mess. Recordings like these are devastating and should never see the light of day”.
Current Case Status and Next Steps
The legal proceedings are ongoing in Wayne County Circuit Court, with the case now centering on whether Garza’s termination was an act of retaliation and whether the alleged remarks contributed to a hostile work environment.
As the case progresses, both parties will exchange evidence, including the full recording and relevant human resources documents. The case is in the early stages of litigation, with potential settlement discussions expected as evidence exchanges proceed.
The court will set a timeline for both parties to respond to the claims, with key phases including evidence exchange, hearings, and potentially depositions involving Garza and other relevant personnel.
Campbell’s Company Background
In 2024, the company officially rebranded as The Campbell’s Company, dropping “Soup” from its name to reflect its broader portfolio. For fiscal year 2025, the company reported net sales of approximately $10.3 billion.
Campbell’s Company, founded in 1869 in Camden, New Jersey, is one of America’s oldest and most iconic food companies. It became famous for inventing condensed soup in the late 1890s, a process developed by Dr. John T. Dorrance that made soup more affordable and shelf-stable.
What This Case Means for Corporate Accountability
The lawsuit raises essential questions about corporate governance, workplace culture, and the handling of discrimination claims in major companies. If Garza’s claims are validated, the case could potentially lead to significant changes in employee protection policies and accountability measures within Campbell’s.
The case emphasizes broader issues on how corporations manage discrimination complaints and executive accountability.
FAQ: Campbell’s Lawsuit
What is the Campbell’s lawsuit about?
The lawsuit alleges employment retaliation after Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst, was terminated for reporting racist comments and inappropriate behavior by Campbell’s VP Martin Bally. Garza recorded Bally making offensive remarks about Campbell’s products being for “poor people” and racist comments about Indian employees during a November 2024 meeting.
Was Martin Bally fired from Campbell’s?
Yes, Campbell’s confirmed Bally’s termination was effective Tuesday, November 26, 2025, after reviewing the recording and concluding the voice was Bally’s.
What did Martin Bally say in the recording?
Bally allegedly said “We have s–t for f—ing poor people” and made racist comments about Indian employees. He also claimed Campbell’s uses “bioengineered meat” and stated “I don’t wanna eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer”.
Is Campbell’s soup made with lab-grown meat?
No. Campbell’s stated they use 100% real chicken from USDA-approved U.S. suppliers and all soups are made with No Antibiotics Ever chicken meat. Campbell’s called Bally’s comments “patently absurd”.
What is Florida investigating Campbell’s for?
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation into whether Campbell’s uses lab-grown meat, which is banned in Florida. The investigation is being conducted by Florida’s Consumer Protection division.
What damages is Robert Garza seeking?
Garza is seeking monetary damages from Campbell’s, Martin Bally, and his former manager J.D. Aupperle. The lawsuit alleges Garza suffered stress, humiliation, embarrassment and mental anguish.
Where was the Campbell’s lawsuit filed?
The lawsuit was filed on November 20, 2025, in Michigan Circuit Court for Wayne County as Case No. 25-018465-CD.
Is J.D. Aupperle still employed by Campbell’s?
Yes, Campbell’s confirmed Wednesday that Aupperle remains employed by the company despite being named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Disclaimer: This article provides legal information about the Campbell’s lawsuit based on verified court documents, case filings, news sources, and legal analysis current as of November 28, 2025. It is for educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. For specific legal advice regarding similar cases, please consult with a qualified attorney. Always verify current case status and legal developments through official court resources.
Court Resources:
- Michigan Courts Case Search
- Case Number: 25-018465-CD, Wayne County Circuit Court
About the Author
Sarah Klein, JD, is a licensed attorney and legal content strategist with over 12 years of experience across civil, criminal, family, and regulatory law. At All About Lawyer, she covers a wide range of legal topics — from high-profile lawsuits and courtroom stories to state traffic laws and everyday legal questions — all with a focus on accuracy, clarity, and public understanding.
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