The family of a prominent Boeing whistle-blower who killed himself last year have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the airplane manufacturer.
The suit, which was filed on Wednesday in federal court in South Carolina, says Boeing contributed to the “unbearable depression, panic attacks, and anxiety” the whistle-blower, John Barnett, suffered for many years.
“Boeing may not have pulled the trigger, but Boeing’s conduct was the clear cause” of Mr. Barnett’s death, the lawsuit said. His family requested a jury trial.
Mr. Barnett worked for Boeing for more than three decades, about half of that time as a quality manager. In 2017, he retired early from a job at the company’s factory in North Charleston, S.C., which produces the 787 Dreamliner, after he said the company had retaliated against him for speaking out about concerns over quality and safety.
Mr. Barnett’s concerns at Boeing were featured prominently in The New York Times and other news outlets, as examples of problems with the company’s manufacturing.
He later sued the company and was in Charleston for a deposition in that case in March 2024 when he was found dead in his truck in the parking lot of his hotel. A county coroner ruled that he had shot himself. He was 62.
In a statement, Boeing said it was “saddened by John Barnett’s death and extend our condolences to his family.” The company has previously disputed his quality and retaliation claims.
Boeing endured two major safety crises in the past decade. The first followed two fatal crashes of its 737 Max plane in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, in which 346 people died. Those crashes, which were later blamed on flight control software, led regulators around the world to ground the plane for nearly two years. Then, early last year, a panel blew off a 737 Max during a flight. While that incident resulted in no serious injuries, it renewed concerns about the quality of the company’s planes and forced Boeing to make major changes, including replacing its chief executive.
If you are having thoughts of suicide, call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for a list of additional resources.
