Soup king Campbell’s parts ways with IT VP after ‘3D-printed chicken’ remarks
(2025/11/28)
- Reference: 1764298320
- News link: https://www.theregister.co.uk/2025/11/28/campbells_it_vp_toxic_remarks/
- Source link:
Food company Campbell’s, best known for its soups and the iconic cans they come in, has parted ways with a vice president for IT after another member of the company’s tech team recorded him criticizing the company’s products.
This story starts in September 2024 when a chap named Robert Garza, per a [1]court filing [PDF] scored a job as a cyber security analyst at Campbell’s.
The filing asserts that in November 2024, Garza met with Martin Bally – then a veep for IT at the soup maker – to discuss his salary.
[2]
It’s alleged that during the meeting, Bally referred to Campbell’s products as for being for “poor people,” and made racist remarks about some workers. Garza alleges that after the meeting he reported the remarks to his manager, but that Campbell’s took no action. He further claims that in January 2025 he suggested raising the matter with Campbell’s HR team, but that his manager again took no action – until a few weeks later Campbell’s fired Garza, a decision for which Bally and the manager were allegedly responsible.
[3]
[4]
Garza recorded the meeting and later shared an audio file of the encounter with US media. [5]The recording features a male voice using frequent expletives, and saying he would not consume Campbell’s products because they contain “bioengineered meat” and he doesn’t want to “eat chicken that came from a 3D printer.”
[6]Top Ubisoft execs eject after staff complain of 'toxic' workplace environment for women at Canadian studios
[7]Apple settles unfair labor charges brought by fired engineering manager
[8]After 47 years, Microsoft issues first sexual harassment and gender report
[9]WFH with privacy? 85% of Brit bosses snoop on staff
Unsurprisingly, the recording went viral and the remark about 3D-printed chicken even caught the attention of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who [10]promised to investigate the claim because local laws ban lab-grown meat.
Also unsurprisingly, Campbell’s went into damage control mode, acknowledging that the voice on the tape sounded like Bally and [11]labeling the remarks “vulgar, offensive and false” and not aligned with the company’s values and culture.
“We will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances,” the statement adds, before noting “As of November 25, Mr. Bally is no longer employed by the company.”
[12]
The company has since pumped out plenty of posts pointing out that its poulet is proper repast, made of actual chicken from well-run farms.
“Any claims to the contrary are completely false.”
Garza’s wants damages to compensate him for stress, humiliation, economic damage, and “Other damages to be discovered through the course of litigation.” ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://edge.dailyvoice.com/static/upload/campbell_soup_lawsuit.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
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[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8FBWZX7sT0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/13/ubisoft_execs_quit_harassment_probe/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/10/apple_agrees_to_settle_unfair/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/16/microsoft_sexual_harassment_and/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/30/forget_the_idea_of_wfh/
[10] https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1992956482351215039
[11] https://www.thecampbellscompany.com/newsroom/news/company-statement-on-the-garza-lawsuit-and-alleged-audio-recording/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
This story starts in September 2024 when a chap named Robert Garza, per a [1]court filing [PDF] scored a job as a cyber security analyst at Campbell’s.
The filing asserts that in November 2024, Garza met with Martin Bally – then a veep for IT at the soup maker – to discuss his salary.
[2]
It’s alleged that during the meeting, Bally referred to Campbell’s products as for being for “poor people,” and made racist remarks about some workers. Garza alleges that after the meeting he reported the remarks to his manager, but that Campbell’s took no action. He further claims that in January 2025 he suggested raising the matter with Campbell’s HR team, but that his manager again took no action – until a few weeks later Campbell’s fired Garza, a decision for which Bally and the manager were allegedly responsible.
[3]
[4]
Garza recorded the meeting and later shared an audio file of the encounter with US media. [5]The recording features a male voice using frequent expletives, and saying he would not consume Campbell’s products because they contain “bioengineered meat” and he doesn’t want to “eat chicken that came from a 3D printer.”
[6]Top Ubisoft execs eject after staff complain of 'toxic' workplace environment for women at Canadian studios
[7]Apple settles unfair labor charges brought by fired engineering manager
[8]After 47 years, Microsoft issues first sexual harassment and gender report
[9]WFH with privacy? 85% of Brit bosses snoop on staff
Unsurprisingly, the recording went viral and the remark about 3D-printed chicken even caught the attention of Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, who [10]promised to investigate the claim because local laws ban lab-grown meat.
Also unsurprisingly, Campbell’s went into damage control mode, acknowledging that the voice on the tape sounded like Bally and [11]labeling the remarks “vulgar, offensive and false” and not aligned with the company’s values and culture.
“We will not tolerate that kind of language under any circumstances,” the statement adds, before noting “As of November 25, Mr. Bally is no longer employed by the company.”
[12]
The company has since pumped out plenty of posts pointing out that its poulet is proper repast, made of actual chicken from well-run farms.
“Any claims to the contrary are completely false.”
Garza’s wants damages to compensate him for stress, humiliation, economic damage, and “Other damages to be discovered through the course of litigation.” ®
Get our [13]Tech Resources
[1] https://edge.dailyvoice.com/static/upload/campbell_soup_lawsuit.pdf
[2] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=2&c=2aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D2%26raptor%3Dcondor%26pos%3Dtop%26test%3D0
[3] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[4] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=3&c=33aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D3%26raptor%3Deagle%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[5] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8FBWZX7sT0
[6] https://www.theregister.com/2020/07/13/ubisoft_execs_quit_harassment_probe/
[7] https://www.theregister.com/2025/04/10/apple_agrees_to_settle_unfair/
[8] https://www.theregister.com/2022/11/16/microsoft_sexual_harassment_and/
[9] https://www.theregister.com/2025/01/30/forget_the_idea_of_wfh/
[10] https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/1992956482351215039
[11] https://www.thecampbellscompany.com/newsroom/news/company-statement-on-the-garza-lawsuit-and-alleged-audio-recording/
[12] https://pubads.g.doubleclick.net/gampad/jump?co=1&iu=/6978/reg_offbeat/legal&sz=300x50%7C300x100%7C300x250%7C300x251%7C300x252%7C300x600%7C300x601&tile=4&c=44aSksaI3_c6afArwMBheqYwAAAEA&t=ct%3Dns%26unitnum%3D4%26raptor%3Dfalcon%26pos%3Dmid%26test%3D0
[13] https://whitepapers.theregister.com/
Hang on a sec ...
jake
How do we know that the so-called "recording" is real?
Perhaps Garza didn't get the money he was hoping for, and besmirched the name of his superior?
"Sounds like" in a recording (of unknown fidelity) doesn't automagically mean "is".
Shirley I'm not the only one who remembers back when a simple accusation wasn't all that was needed for a conviction ...
Oldest joke in the world ...
Rikki Tikki
Why did the 3-D printed chicken cross the road?
To escape from the soup factory.
Never buying their slop again due to firing Garza like that. Hope they appreciated Bally's "3D printed chicken" comment because that's what I'm telling everyone from now on. Do NOT mess with whistleblowers, it is an *unforgivable* sin. I promise to be a permanent stain on Campbell's name as long as I goddamn live. Somebody has to stand up for these people no matter how trivial the protest is. If we don't make examples out of these companies, it'll just keep happening.