During his tenure as chief, Blackshire was supposed to have received a 3% wage premium for his Emergency Medical Technician certification, the lawsuit, filed on Jan. 7 states. The premium requirements are outlined in a city compensation plan for EMT certified employees. Blackshire, who has had his certification since 1997, was paid the premium during his time as Deputy Fire Chief, according to the suit. But in July 2019, when Blackshire was promoted, the city stopped paying the premium.
Martin Bally, Campbell's vice president of information technology, was named in a lawsuit filed last week by Robert Garza, a former Campbell's employee. The lawsuit was filed in Michigan, where both men live. Campbell's is headquartered in New Jersey. In the lawsuit, Garza claimed he met with Bally in November 2024 to discuss his salary. During the meeting, which Garza allegedly recorded, Bally described Campbell's as "highly process(ed) food" and said it was for "poor people."
U.S. District Judge Barbara Rothstein, who is overseeing the case, ruled this month that parts of Stonelake's suit had merit, and the case will move forward. "I hope this ruling encourages others who have experienced discrimination and toxic workplace cultures to consider the courts as one way to push for justice and accountability," Stonelake said in a statement given to TechCrunch.
