The Blubber

The family of a Boeing whistleblower who died by suicide last year has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company.

The lawsuit claims that John Barnett endured harassment, abuse, and humiliation after voicing concerns about safety violations. It argues that Boeing’s actions were "the clear, foreseeable cause" of his death.

In response, Boeing expressed sadness over Mr. Barnett’s passing and extended condolences to his family.

Barnett, a former Boeing manager, was discovered in the parking lot of a Charleston hotel on March 9 last year, with police ruling his death a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court of South Carolina, the 146-page lawsuit was brought by his mother, Vicky Stokes, and his brothers, Rodney and Michael, on behalf of his estate. It attributes his death to Boeing’s alleged retaliation, asserting that his managers created a "hostile work environment."

"Whether or not Boeing intended to drive John to death or merely destroy his ability to function, it was absolutely foreseeable that Boeing's conduct would result in PTSD and John's unbearable depression... Boeing's conduct was the clear cause, and the clear foreseeable cause, of John's death," the lawsuit states.

It portrays Barnett as a dedicated professional who took his responsibility to protect the flying public seriously, believing he had a legal and moral duty to document and address every potential defect.

According to the lawsuit, Barnett was subjected to harassment, humiliation, and exclusion from key investigations. It also alleges he was blocked from transferring to other quality control roles within the company.

Barnett retired early from Boeing in March 2017, experiencing depression and severe anxiety, and believing he was on the verge of termination. Even after his departure, the lawsuit claims, the company continued to exert pressure on him, including restricting contact between him and former colleagues.

Among the lawsuit's exhibits is an email in which Barnett wrote, "Boeing has completely destroyed my outlook on life," and his handwritten final note, stating, "I can't do this any longer!! Enough!!"

Raised Safety Concerns

John Barnett spent 32 years working for Boeing.

In 2010, he became a quality manager at Boeing’s North Charleston, South Carolina, facility, where the company produces the 787 Dreamliner, a long-haul aircraft.

During his tenure, Barnett repeatedly alerted management to safety procedure violations and aircraft defects. He later went public with his concerns, speaking to the media in 2019.

He told the BBC that:

• Under-pressure workers were deliberately installing sub-standard parts on aircraft.
• Tracking procedures were not being followed, allowing defective components to go missing.
• Oxygen system flaws in the 787 meant that up to one in four emergency breathing masks might fail.

While Boeing dismissed his claims, a 2017 review by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) upheld some of his concerns.

The FAA found that at least 53 "non-conforming" parts in the factory were unaccounted for and deemed lost, prompting Boeing to take corrective measures.

Regarding the oxygen cylinders, Boeing stated in 2017 that it had identified some defective bottles from a supplier but insisted that none had been installed on aircraft.