Thursday, January 28, 2021

I applaud any company that takes a stand in support of democracy


Meet Bob Unanue, the (for now) CEO of Goya Foods. Here he is talking to Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business.

It took Goya Foods' Board of Directors all of two days to gag him after he made these comments. According to CNN, "The board voted to censure Unanue, … according to a person familiar with the board's actions, who spoke to CNN on the condition that their name not be used. Unanue will no longer be allowed to speak to the media without the board's permission.… The source said this is a "full stop" on Unanue speaking to the press, not only about politics but also about the company itself." 

For his part, Uannue told the New York Post that he's "[i]ndependently … made the decision to lower the temperature and walk away from speaking about politics and religion … because of the diverse views of the company and our market."

Bravo to the Goya Foods Board of Directors. Corporate responsibility starts at the top. If our leaders stand against democracy and support insurrections, so does our company. This isn't about "cancel culture," free speech, or silencing a viewpoint with which you don't agree. It's about taking a stand for what's right and not allowing someone in a position of authority to foster dangerous theories, especially to the media. If Goya Foods permits Unanue to continue to put forth these conspiracy theories in support of a coming "war," they become the position of Goya Foods. If I'm serving on a company's Board of Directors, I cannot allow that to happen.

My best guess? The gag order is a stop-gap measure until Goya Foods' Board can determine the correct exit strategy under Unanue's employment agreement(s).