Sometimes the corporate scandal writes itself, and this is one of those times. Campbell's Company (CPB) announced Wednesday that Martin Bally, its Vice President of Information Technology, is no longer with the company after an alleged audio recording surfaced of him going on what can only be described as a spectacularly ill-advised rant.
The whole mess came to light through a lawsuit filed by Robert Garza, a former cybersecurity analyst who claims Campbell's fired him in retaliation after he reported Bally's hour-long tirade. According to the suit, Bally's recorded comments included referring to Campbell's products as "highly processed food" for "poor people" and making racist remarks about Indian coworkers.
Conspiracies and Contradictions
But wait, it gets weirder. Bally also allegedly claimed that Campbell's uses bioengineered meat, spinning what sounds like a bizarre conspiracy theory about the company's chicken products.
"I don't buy … Campbell's products anymore," Bally reportedly said on the recording. "I don't want to eat a … piece of chicken that came from a 3D printer."
Yes, 3D printed chicken. From a Vice President at the actual company. Garza's lawsuit also alleges that Bally admitted he "often appeared at work high from marijuana edibles."
Campbell's Response
Campbell's didn't mince words in its updated statement on Wednesday. The company said the alleged comments are "unacceptable" and completely contradict its values.
"After a review, we believe the voice on the recording is in fact Martin Bally. The comments were vulgar, offensive and false, and we apologize for the hurt they have caused," the company stated.
"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. As of November 25, Mr. Bally is no longer employed by the company," the statement continued.
Campbell's also took the time to address the whole 3D printed chicken thing, calling Bally's product claims "patently absurd" and emphasizing that the chicken in their soups is 100% real, USDA-approved, and carries a "No Antibiotics Ever" designation. Which seems like something an IT executive should have known.
