The family of John Barnett, a former Boeing employee, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company after he tragically died by suicide. Barnett had been under scrutiny for several days related to a whistleblower lawsuit against Boeing at the time of his death.
Barnett, who spent over 30 years as a quality control manager at Boeing before retiring in 2017, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 9, 2024. The Charleston County Coroner’s Office confirmed this information, stating that Barnett was in South Carolina for legal matters surrounding the whistleblower case when he passed away.
His family filed the lawsuit on March 19 in the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. They allege that Boeing’s management pressured employees to overlook and hide defects in aircraft, which they claim compromises safety standards. They argue that this neglect could potentially lead to disastrous outcomes, such as plane crashes.
According to the lawsuit, Barnett was committed to ensuring that every defect was properly logged and fixed. However, he felt intense pressure from Boeing management to ignore these issues to keep production on schedule. The family alleges that when Barnett resisted this pressure, he faced a campaign of intimidation and harassment from the company, which negatively impacted his mental health. In 2017, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to the alleged hostile work environment.
Barnett even filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) about the retaliation he faced after speaking out. While OSHA eventually found no evidence of retaliation, Barnett appealed this ruling.
Despite retiring, Barnett struggled to move on from the trauma he experienced at Boeing. His family claims that years of harassment and mistreatment ultimately became too overwhelming for him, leading to his tragic decision. In an email he sent in February 2021, he described how Boeing had profoundly affected his outlook on life. In a note left behind, he expressed sentiments like “I pray Boeing pays” and “I found my purpose,” suggesting deep feelings of despair.
The lawsuit asserts that while Boeing did not directly cause his death, their actions contributed to it. In response, Boeing released a statement expressing sadness over Barnett’s passing and offered condolences to his family.
The exact amount his family is seeking in damages has not been disclosed, but they are requesting compensation for lost wages, emotional distress, medical expenses, and legal fees.
