Whistleblower Family Takes Legal Action Against Boeing

Person blowing a silver whistle close-up.

The family of a Boeing whistleblower who died by suicide has filed a wrongful death lawsuit, claiming the company’s harassment campaign against him led to his tragic demise.

Key Takeaways

John Barnett, a 32-year Boeing veteran and quality control manager, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2024, leaving a note blaming Boeing leadership.
The lawsuit alleges Boeing subjected Barnett to harassment, retaliation, and a hostile work environment after he reported safety violations and production shortcuts.
Barnett was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, panic attacks, and anxiety due to his treatment at Boeing, according to court documents.
The whistleblower had reported serious safety issues including metal shavings near flight control wiring and problems with oxygen systems on Boeing 787 planes.
Boeing has denied Barnett’s allegations while expressing condolences to his family.

Whistleblower’s Family Seeks Justice Through Lawsuit

The family of former Boeing quality control manager John Barnett has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aerospace giant, claiming the company’s treatment of him after he raised safety concerns directly led to his suicide. Barnett died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2024 while in Charleston, South Carolina, where he was scheduled to give a deposition in his ongoing legal battle with Boeing. He was found in a hotel parking lot with a note specifically blaming Boeing’s leadership for the decision to take his life.

The lawsuit alleges Boeing engaged in a deliberate campaign to silence Barnett after he raised concerns about serious safety violations at the company’s manufacturing facilities. According to court documents, Barnett faced retaliation that included poor job reviews, undesirable shifts, public humiliation, and being blamed for production delays after he reported safety issues, including problems with oxygen systems and metal shavings found near critical flight control wiring.

Barnett had worked for Boeing for 32 years until his retirement in 2017, which his legal team says was forced by the deterioration of his mental health due to the company’s actions. The lawsuit claims that following his whistleblowing activities, Boeing even prohibited employees from contacting Barnett after he left the company, further isolating him.

Mental Health Toll of Corporate Retaliation

Court documents reveal that Barnett was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, panic attacks, and anxiety as a direct result of his experiences at Boeing. The lawsuit paints a picture of a conscientious employee who was dedicated to ensuring aircraft safety but suffered severe emotional distress due to the company’s alleged harassment campaign. In emails and notes discovered after his death, Barnett expressed deep despair about his situation and specifically cited Boeing’s impact on his life.

The family’s attorneys, Robert Turkewitz, Brian Knowles, and David Boies, argue that Boeing’s actions were directly responsible for Barnett’s death. “Boeing had threatened to break John, and break him it did,” the attorneys stated in court filings. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for lost pay, benefits, medical expenses, emotional distress, mental anguish, back pay, lost future earnings, and lost life insurance benefits.

Safety Concerns and Boeing’s Response

Barnett’s whistleblowing activities included reporting that Boeing was installing substandard parts on aircraft, that employees were pressured to ignore defects, and that the company was violating Federal Aviation Administration standards. After filing a whistleblower retaliation complaint in 2017, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ruled against him. He later filed a federal lawsuit in 2021 accusing Boeing of safety lapses and was scheduled to testify the day after his body was discovered.

Boeing has expressed condolences but denied Barnett’s allegations. In a statement, the company said, “We are saddened by John Barnett’s death and extend our condolences to his family.” Boeing also stated that it maintains a commitment to employee empowerment in reporting problems. The timing of Barnett’s death coincided with increased scrutiny on Boeing’s safety practices, particularly after a notable incident involving an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 MAX-9, which intensified public interest in his claims about quality control issues at the company.