Boeing whistleblower's tragic death sparks family lawsuit
John Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower, was found dead in his truck. The man's family has sued the company, accusing the corporation of a "campaign of harassment and intimidation" aimed at "discouraging, humiliating, and discrediting him," which they claim contributed to his death, CNN reported on Friday.
What do you need to know?
- John Barnett's family accuses Boeing of a "campaign of harassment and intimidation" intended to discourage and discredit the whistleblower.
- Barnett revealed that Boeing forced employees to ignore technical defects, potentially leading to serious aircraft failures.
- In 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) confirmed some of Barnett's allegations, compelling Boeing to take corrective actions.
The family of John Barnett, a former quality engineer at Boeing, has filed a lawsuit against the company, accusing it of harassment that allegedly led to the man's death. "Boeing vowed to break John (Barnett), and that's exactly what they did," the lawsuit states.
Whistleblower found dead
After retiring, Barnett began a legal battle with Boeing, accusing the corporation of defamation and hindering his career due to the technical problems he reported.
Barnett disclosed that Boeing forced employees to ignore technical defects to keep production running, producing planes with malfunctioning parts. He reported that in oxygen apparatus tests, 25 percent of devices did not function correctly, posing dangerous situations in the event of a disaster.
Barnett said he informed his supervisors about the matter, but no actions were taken. His family claims that in retaliation, the company started harassing him. They allegedly gave him falsely low-performance ratings, assigned him to the worst shifts, blamed him for production delays—which turned his colleagues against him—and prevented him from transferring to another facility. As a result, Barnett was diagnosed with depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
Boeing denied these allegations, but in 2017, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the U.S. regulator, confirmed some of them, obligating Boeing to address the identified problems.
The former Boeing employee was found dead on March 9 of last year in his truck in Charleston County. It was determined that he committed suicide. The whistleblower's death occurred at a time when Boeing and its supplier Spirit AeroSystems were being criticized for a series of failures, including door defects and flight stabilization system issues. Last year, the company reported an $11.83 billion loss.
The deceased's family is seeking compensation, including lost earnings and bonuses.
