Whistleblower’s Family Pursuing Boeing For Accountability

Person blowing a silver whistle close-up.

The family of John Barnett, a Boeing whistleblower who committed suicide after allegedly enduring years of harassment, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit claiming the aerospace giant’s intimidation campaign drove him to take his own life.

Key Insights

John Barnett, a 32-year Boeing employee and quality control manager, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2024, leaving a suicide note blaming Boeing leaders and writing “I pray Boeing pays.”
The wrongful death lawsuit claims Boeing subjected Barnett to harassment, poor job reviews, undesirable shifts, and public humiliation after he reported safety violations including metal shavings near flight controls and defective oxygen systems.
Barnett was diagnosed with PTSD, depression, anxiety, and panic attacks allegedly resulting from his treatment at Boeing, and died during depositions for his separate whistleblower retaliation lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks compensation for emotional distress, lost earnings, health expenses, and alleges Boeing prohibited employees from contacting Barnett after his 2017 retirement.

Whistleblower’s Family Alleges Deliberate Harassment Campaign

The family of John Barnett has launched a legal battle against Boeing, claiming the company’s relentless intimidation drove the longtime quality control manager to suicide. According to the lawsuit, Boeing subjected Barnett to a systematic campaign of harassment designed to silence his safety concerns. After 32 years with the company, Barnett retired in 2017, reportedly due to the severe depression and anxiety he developed while working at the aircraft manufacturer’s South Carolina plant. The lawsuit describes how Barnett, a dedicated employee committed to aircraft safety, faced increasing hostility after raising concerns about production shortcuts and safety violations.

Barnett died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in March 2024 while in South Carolina for depositions related to his separate whistleblower retaliation lawsuit against Boeing. The timing was particularly striking—he was found in a hotel parking lot the day before he was scheduled to continue testimony. In his suicide note, Barnett explicitly blamed Boeing’s leadership for destroying his life, writing, “I pray Boeing pays.” The family’s attorneys argue this final message clearly establishes the company’s culpability, despite not physically pulling the trigger.

Safety Allegations and Mental Health Impact

During his time at Boeing, Barnett reported numerous safety issues that he claimed were ignored or suppressed. He documented problems including metal shavings found dangerously close to flight control wiring and defective oxygen systems on Boeing 787 planes. Rather than addressing these concerns, the lawsuit alleges Boeing retaliated by giving Barnett poor job reviews, assigning him undesirable shifts, and publicly blaming him for production delays. This pattern of treatment allegedly continued until his retirement in 2017, when he filed a whistleblower retaliation complaint that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration ultimately ruled against.

The lawsuit details the severe psychological toll these experiences took on Barnett. Medical records cited in the filing show he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, panic attacks, and anxiety directly related to his treatment at Boeing. The family alleges the company’s actions created such profound emotional distress that Barnett ultimately saw no way out. Adding to his isolation, Boeing allegedly prohibited employees from contacting Barnett after his retirement, further cutting him off from colleagues and the professional community he had known for over three decades.

Company Response and Broader Context

Boeing has offered a brief response to the lawsuit, expressing condolences while maintaining its stance against Barnett’s allegations. “We are saddened by John Barnett’s death and extend our condolences to his family,” the company stated, while also asserting its commitment to employee empowerment for reporting problems. This dispute occurs against a backdrop of increased scrutiny of Boeing’s safety practices, particularly following a January 2025 incident involving an Alaska Airlines-operated Boeing 737 MAX-9 that experienced a mid-flight door plug blowout.

The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages for lost pay, benefits, medical expenses, emotional distress, and lost life insurance benefits. Barnett’s family is represented by attorneys Robert Turkewitz, Brian Knowles, and David Boies, who have emphasized their commitment to seeking accountability. “It is now time for justice and accountability for John and his family. For far too long, Boeing has acted with a culture of concealment,” said Knowles. The Federal Aviation Administration had previously opened an investigation into falsified records at the Boeing plant where Barnett worked, adding credibility to some of the concerns he raised during his employment.