Family of Boeing Whistleblower John Barnett Files Lawsuit Alleging Wrongful Death After Suicide
Charleston, SC – The family of John Barnett, a former Boeing employee and whistleblower who tragically died by suicide in March 2024, has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the aerospace giant, accusing the company of years of harassment and retaliation that they say ultimately led to his death.
Barnett, 62, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound while in Charleston, where he was scheduled to testify in a federal whistleblower case against Boeing. According to a civil complaint filed Wednesday, Barnett’s family believes that Boeing’s sustained campaign of intimidation and abuse broke him down emotionally and mentally.
A Dedicated Employee Turned Whistleblower
John Barnett spent 32 years at Boeing, including 17 years as a quality manager. He was most recently stationed at the company’s 787 Dreamliner plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, known as Boeing South Carolina (BSC). According to the complaint, Barnett took his job seriously and was proud of his role in protecting airline passengers by identifying and reporting safety flaws.
But when Barnett began raising internal alarms about manufacturing defects, including pressure to overlook or not document safety issues, Boeing allegedly retaliated by:
- Giving him poor performance reviews
- Isolating him socially and professionally
- Reassigning him to other parts of the plant
- Blacklisting him from transferring within the company
A Hostile Work Environment and Mental Health Struggles
In 2016, one Boeing manager allegedly called Barnett over 40 times in two days, saying, “I’m going to push you until you break.” By 2017, Barnett was diagnosed with PTSD, anxiety, depression, and panic attacks. He went on medical leave in January 2017 and was officially “constructively discharged” from Boeing in March 2017, meaning he was forced to leave due to unbearable working conditions.
The lawsuit says Barnett had planned to work another 10 years but was driven out by the company’s retaliation.
OSHA Whistleblower Case and Legal Battles
Barnett filed a whistleblower complaint with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in January 2017, under the AIR21 aviation whistleblower protection statute. He accused Boeing of retaliating against him for raising safety concerns.
While the AIR21 case was pending, Boeing allegedly delayed proceedings, refused to turn over key documents, and was sanctioned by the court for its non-compliance.
Barnett was in Charleston for the third day of his deposition in this case when he took his own life on March 9, 2024.
A Painful Email and Final Words
The lawsuit includes a powerful email written by Barnett in February 2021, shared in police reports after his death:
The family says Boeing’s conduct caused Barnett’s mental health to deteriorate and that his suicide was a foreseeable outcome of the company’s actions.
Family Seeks Justice and Accountability
The lawsuit was filed by Barnett’s mother, Vicky Stokes, and his brothers Rodney and Michael Barnett. It does not specify a dollar amount in damages but seeks compensation for emotional distress, financial losses, and mental suffering caused by Boeing’s alleged actions.
Attorney Brian M. Knowles, representing the family, said:
Boeing’s Response
Boeing released a brief statement saying:
As of Friday, the company had not filed a formal legal response to the complaint.
The lawsuit shines a spotlight on the emotional toll of whistleblowing in high-stakes industries and raises serious questions about Boeing’s workplace culture and treatment of internal critics. With ongoing scrutiny of Boeing’s safety standards, the outcome of this case may have broader implications for both aviation accountability and employee protection.