Robert Garza thought he was entering into a standard salary discussion when he met with a superior at Campbell Soup Company. Instead, he sat listening to what he said was an hour-long tirade that left him feeling sick.
Garza suggested to Local 4 News that he felt “something wasn’t right with Martin,” the food company’s vice president and chief information security officer (1).
What Garza heard (and also recorded) would ultimately cost him his job. Now, the Monroe, Michigan, resident is suing Campbell’s, claiming he was fired in retaliation for trying to do the right thing.
Garza began working remotely as a security analyst for Campbell’s headquarters in Camden, New Jersey, in September 2024. Later that year, he met with Bally at a restaurant to discuss his compensation. But the conversation quickly veered off course.
According to Garza’s lawsuit filed in Wayne County Circuit Court (2), Bally went on what the complaint describes as a “disgusting” rant about the company’s products and employees. The recording, which lasted more than an hour and 15 minutes, allegedly captured Bally making racist comments about Indian co-workers and derogatory comments about Campbell’s customers.
“We got s**t for the f–king poor. Who buys our s–t? I hardly buy Campbell products anymore. It’s not healthy now that I know what the f–k is in it,” Bally allegedly said in the recording. “Bioengineered meat: I don’t want to eat a piece of chicken that came out of a 3D printer.”
The rant didn’t stop there. According to the lawsuit, Bally made several derogatory comments about Indian employees, calling them “idiots” and saying they “couldn’t think for themselves.”
Garza also alleges in the filing that Bally admitted he regularly went to work high on marijuana edibles.
“He has no filter,” Garza said. “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 kept the recording to himself at first. He said he felt “pure disgust” after the meeting and needed time to process what he had heard. But in January 2025 he decided that he could not remain silent.
She went to her direct supervisor, JD Aupperle, to report Bally’s behavior, particularly racist comments about her co-workers.
“He was really defending other people,” said Zachary Runyan, Garza’s attorney. “He approached his boss and said, ‘Martin is saying this about the Indian coworkers we have, he’s saying this about the people who buy our food, who keep our business open, and I don’t think that should be allowed.'”
Twenty days later, Garza was caught by surprise. He was fired on January 30, 2025.
“The response to Robert standing up for other people is to get him fired, which is ridiculous,” Runyan said.
The firing was especially shocking, Garza said, because Bally had praised his job performance during that same December meeting. According to Runyan, Garza had never received any disciplinary action or notification. “He had never received any disciplinary action, he had never been disciplined for job performance,” Runyan said.
Garza said he did not receive any follow-up from Human Resources or anyone else at Campbell’s. No investigation. No explanation. Just a dismissal.
It took him 10 months to find another job.
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The lawsuit accuses Campbell Soup Company of maintaining a racially hostile work environment and retaliating against Garza for raising concerns. It names the company, Bally and Aupperle as defendants. Garza is particularly frustrated by the disconnect between Campbell’s public image and how he was treated.
“They have a motto: ‘Here at Campbell’s we treat you like family; come work for us,'” he said. “‘We treat our employees like family.’ That’s not the case.”
Campbell Soup Company issued a statement Thursday night saying, “If correct, the comments in the recording are unacceptable. They do not reflect our values or our company culture. We are actively investigating this matter.”
But for Garza, that response seems too little, too late. He calls the company’s handling of the situation “simply terrible.”
If you witness misconduct in the workplace, whether it be discrimination, harassment, or anything else that violates company policy, here are some steps you can take:
Document everything. Keep detailed records of what happened, when, and who was involved. If your state allows the recording of a party’s consent, that can be powerful evidence (3).
Inform through the appropriate channels. Go to Human Resources or use your company’s ethics hotline. Put your complaint in writing so that it is recorded (4).
Know your rights. Federal law protects employees from retaliation when they report discrimination or harassment. If you are fired or demoted after filing a complaint, you may have legal recourse.
Consult an employment lawyer. If you believe you have been retaliated against, speak to an employment law attorney. Many offer free consultations.
**Consider outside agencies. **The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) investigates complaints of discrimination. You typically have 180 days to file a charge (5).
For Garza, standing up seemed like the only option, even if it cost him everything. Now he hopes the legal system will prove he made the right decision.
We rely only on verified sources and credible third-party reports. For more information, see our editorial guidelines and ethics.
Detroit Local 4 News (1); Law.com (2) Barrett and Farahany (3); United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (4); EEOC (5)
This article provides information only and should not be construed as advice. It is provided without warranty of any kind.
