Campbell’s Fires Executive Who Allegedly Called Food ‘Sh-t for Poor People’
Food company Campbell’s has fired an executive who allegedly called the company’s product “crap for the fucking poor,” Fox Business reported.
Martin Bally, who was vice president of the company’s information security department, was allegedly caught on secret recording a year ago insulting the company’s food. A company spokesperson told the outlet that Bally’s comments were “vulgar, offensive and false.”
Campbell’s said the voice in the recording is believed to be Bally’s and that he has no longer been employed by the company as of Tuesday.
“We apologize for the harm they have caused,” the spokesperson said. “This behavior does not reflect our values and our company culture, and we will not tolerate this type of language under any circumstances.”
The company previously told New York Post that Bally had been placed on temporary leave during an internal investigation.
The recording was recently released as part of a lawsuit filed by former employee Robert Garza in Wayne County Circuit Court in Michigan, according to the report.
Garza, who worked for the company as a cybersecurity analyst, said he recorded the audio during a meeting at a restaurant in November last year, Local 4 News Detroit reported.
Garza said he initially kept the audio to himself before giving it to his supervisor, according to the report. Garza was fired about 20 days later, and he now accuses the company of retaliation and maintaining a racist work environment, according to the complaint.
In the audio, Bally can be heard saying: “We have bullshit for the poor. Who buys our bullshit? I hardly buy Campbell’s products anymore”, as well as: “Bioengineered meat – I don’t want to eat a piece of chicken from a 3D printer.”
He also reportedly said: “The fucking Indians don’t know anything. They couldn’t think for themselves.”
Campbell’s said it first learned of the lawsuit and parts of the recording on Nov. 20 and said neither Garza nor his attorney informed the company, according to the report.
Campbell’s also called the comments on the recordings “inaccurate” and “patently absurd.”
“We are grateful to the millions of people who purchase and enjoy our products and are honored by the trust they have placed in us,” the company said. “We take pride in the food we make, the people who make it and the high-quality ingredients we use to provide consumers with great food at a great value. »
