US Food Giant Executive Placed on Leave After Leaked Audio Insults Indian Employees
Lawsuit reveals offensive remarks calling colleagues “idiots” and disparaging company products, sparking uproar
A senior executive at US food major Campbell’s has been placed on administrative leave after a lawsuit revealed a secretly recorded audio in which he allegedly insulted Indian colleagues, calling them “idiots,” and disparaged the company’s products as “food for poor people.”
The lawsuit, filed by former cybersecurity analyst Robert Garza, says the November 2024 meeting—ostensibly about his salary—turned into a profanity-laden tirade by Martin Bally, then Vice President and Chief Information Security Officer. The audio reportedly includes statements such as, “f—ing Indians don’t know a f—ing thing”, while criticizing Campbell’s products as “highly processed” and unpalatable.
Garza claims he was fired three weeks later, in January 2025, after reporting the remarks to his manager, J.D. Aupperle. His suit accuses Campbell’s and the executives involved of wrongful termination, racial harassment, and creating a hostile work environment.
Campbell’s responded by calling the remarks “unacceptable,” “inaccurate,” and “patently absurd,” noting that Bally was part of IT, a department unrelated to food production. The company reaffirmed that its soups contain “100% real chicken” and denied any claims of lab-grown or “3D-printed” meat.
Bally remains on administrative leave as the company conducts an internal review. The lawsuit has sparked widespread public discussion on corporate accountability, workplace racism, and employee respect, raising questions about discrimination even within well-known international firms.
This article is authored by Siftpreet Kaur, an intern at Deccan Chronicle.