The family of a prominent Boeing-Klokkenluider who committed suicide last year has filed an unlawful lawsuit against the aircraft manufacturer.
The lawsuit, which was submitted on Wednesday to the federal court in South Carolina, says that Boeing contributed to the “unbearable depression, panic attacks and fear”, the whistleblower, John Barnett, has years ago.
“Boeing may not have pulled the trigger, but Boeing's behavior was the clear cause” of Mr Barnett's death, the lawsuit said. His family asked for a jury court.
Mr. Barnett worked for Boeing for more than three decades, about half of that time as a quality manager. In 2017 he retired early in the factory of the company in North Charleston, SC, which produces the 787 Dreamliner, after he said that the company had taken revenge against him about expressing concern about quality and safety.
Mr. Barnett's concerns at Boeing were prominently present in the New York Times and other news stores, as examples of problems with the production of the company.
He later sued the company and was in that case in Charleston in that case last March when he was found dead in his truck in the parking lot of his hotel. A coroner ruled that he had shot himself. He was 62.
In a statement, Boeing said: “We are sad by the death of John Barnett and extend our participation in his family.” The company previously disputed its quality and retaliation claims.
Boeing has passed two major safety crises over the past decade. The first followed two fatal accidents of his 737 Max plane in Indonesia and Ethiopia in 2018 and 2019, in which 346 people died. Those crashes, who were later accused of flight control software, led supervisors around the world to ground the aircraft for almost two years. Then, early last year, a panel blew a max of 737 during a flight. Although that incident did not result in serious injury, it renewed the concern about the quality of the company's aircraft and forced Boeing to make large changes, including the replacement of his CEO.
If you have suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 to reach the lifeline of 988 suicide and crisis or go to Speakofsuicide.com/resources For a list of extra sources.
