Boeing is feeling the heat as the family of a dead whistleblower files a bombshell lawsuit alleging the aerospace giant drove their loved one to suicide. The case against America’s biggest aircraft manufacturer is sending shockwaves through corporate America as details emerge about alleged intimidation tactics and a culture of fear.
At a glance:
• The family of John “Mitch” Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower who died by suicide, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company
• Barnett worked for Boeing for 32 years, including 17 years as a quality manager on the 787 Dreamliner program
• The lawsuit claims Boeing’s harassment and retaliation caused Barnett’s PTSD and subsequent suicide
• Barnett was found dead in March 2024 while involved in ongoing litigation against Boeing
• The family seeks damages for funeral expenses, legal costs, and emotional suffering
Whistleblower’s Family Seeks Justice
The family of former Boeing quality manager John “Mitch” Barnett has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aerospace giant in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. Barnett, who worked for Boeing for over three decades, was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2024 while engaged in a legal battle with his former employer.
The 62-year-old whistleblower had taken early retirement in 2017 after allegedly facing intense retaliation for raising safety concerns about Boeing’s production practices. His family’s lawsuit directly blames Boeing’s “campaign to discourage, discredit, and humiliate” Barnett for causing the severe mental distress that led to his suicide.
The legal complaint describes how Barnett developed PTSD in 2017 after years of alleged harassment by Boeing management. According to court documents, Barnett’s concerns about quality control issues were repeatedly ignored, particularly at Boeing’s Charleston plant where he worked on the 787 Dreamliner program.
Pattern of Retaliation Alleged
Mr. Barnett’s suicide occurred shortly before he was scheduled for a follow-up deposition in his 2020 whistleblower lawsuit filed under the AIR21 Whistleblower Protection Program. His allegations against Boeing coincided with increased scrutiny of the company’s production practices following two fatal 737 MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019 that killed 346 people.
The lawsuit alleges Boeing subjected Barnett to poor job reviews, undesirable shifts, and public humiliation after he raised safety concerns. In a note left before his death, he expressed anger toward Boeing and what he viewed as a failed whistleblower protection system that was supposed to shield him from such treatment.
Corporate Accountability Under Scrutiny
Barnett’s family is represented by a high-powered legal team including attorneys Robert Turkewitz, Brian Knowles, David Boies, and Sigrid McCawley. The lawsuit pulls no punches in connecting Boeing’s actions to Barnett’s death, stating: “Boeing had threatened to break John, and break him it did.”
Boeing has issued a brief statement expressing condolences but defending its safety practices: “We are saddened by John Barnett’s death and extend our condolences to his family.” A company spokesperson effectively denying Barnett’s allegations, stating that “safety issues are immediately investigated, and changes are made wherever necessary.”
The lawsuit comes at a particularly sensitive time for Boeing, which is already facing intense Federal Aviation Administration scrutiny following a January incident involving a door plug blowout on a 737 MAX 9. The FAA has since limited Boeing’s production and implemented additional oversight measures.
The Barnett family lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, including funeral and burial expenses and legal costs. Their attorneys argue Boeing’s actions were the “clear foreseeable cause” of Barnett’s death, even if the company “may not have pulled the trigger.”
