mother of boeing whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in his truck earlier this month after failing to give a deposition in connection with a lawsuit against the jet maker, as police continue to investigate his apparent suicide. Part of the blame lies with aerospace giant John Barnett.
Mr. Burnett had sued Boeing, accusing him of retaliation, harassment and spying on him, and for failing to appear on the second day of his deposition earlier this month.
His lawyer started making phone calls and hotel employees found him dead in the parking lot.
Boeing whistleblower John Burnett was surveilled, harassed by management, and sued.
Boeing whistleblower John Barnett spoke out about the company’s practices in January 2024. (TMZ)
“If this hadn’t gone on so long, I still have a son and they still have a brother and we wouldn’t be sitting here,” Vicki Stokes said. CBS News.
His brother, Rodney Barnett, said in the same interview that the former Boeing quality control engineer was not one to back down and continued to voice his concerns in meetings despite the allegedly poor working conditions.
His attorney and family said his persistence was part of the reason for the coroner’s preliminary assessment that his death was an apparent suicide.
Boeing whistleblower’s lawyer demands full investigation into mysterious death during deposition
Robert Turkewitz, one of Barnett’s attorneys, told “Jesse Watters Prime Time” earlier this week that he did not believe the aerospace giant was involved in Barnett’s client’s death, but added, “I don’t believe it was at all. It didn’t make any sense,” he added. he will commit suicide
Police are still investigating.
Boeing employees work on the rear of a 787 Dreamliner during the manufacturing process at the Boeing manufacturing facility in North Charleston, South Carolina, Dec. 13, 2022. Whistleblower John Barnett was found dead in South Carolina in March 2024. (Logan Cyrus/AFP via Getty Images)
“We’re just waiting for the police and coroner to release their report on what they think happened,” Turkewicz said.
A friend of Barnett’s claimed in an interview with local media that Barnett had said, “If something happens to me, it won’t be suicide.”
“Detectives are actively investigating this incident and are awaiting a formal cause of death, as well as any additional discoveries that may shed further light on the circumstances surrounding Mr. Barnett’s death,” Charleston Police previously told FOX He told News Digital.
Boeing needs to focus on safety and quality after accident, FAA chief says
A Boeing 787 Dreamliner is under construction at the airline’s assembly plant in North Charleston, South Carolina, on May 30, 2023. The plant is located on the site of the jointly used Charleston Air Force Base and Charleston International Airport. (Juliet Michel/AFP via Getty Images)
In January of this year, Barnett told TMZ He said he was concerned that Boeing was putting the 737 Max 9 back into the air too soon after an incident in which a door panel on an Alaska Airlines plane was blown off mid-flight.
Unrelated to Barnett’s retaliation lawsuit, Boeing has struggled in recent weeks with safety concerns about its 737 Max aircraft. This was announced by CEO Dave Calhoun. he will resign At the end of the year.
Other executives and directors, including the head of the 737 Max program, will also be leaving the company as a result of this.
NTSB says Boeing security footage of work on jet with broken door plug not available
Barnett worked for Boeing for more than 30 years before retiring in 2017 as a quality control engineer. In 2019 he said: BBC Boeing is rushing to take the 787 Dreamliner jet off the production line, saying safety will be compromised.
He claimed the jet’s emergency oxygen system had a 25% failure rate. This meant his quarter of the 787 Dreamliner could rapidly lose oxygen and passengers could suffocate if the cabin was suddenly depressurized.
Charleston police are still investigating Barnett, weeks after he missed a deposition appointment in his lawsuit against Boeing and was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in his truck in a hotel parking lot. were investigating his death. (Charleston Police Department)
Barnett claimed he learned of the problem in 2010 while working at Boeing’s North Charleston plant and raised the issue with management to no avail. His lawyers claim that instead of addressing the issue, the company retaliated against him and subjected him to a hostile work environment, which resulted in a lawsuit that resulted in his termination.
of Federal Aviation Administration investigated Boeing in 2017, corroborated some of Barnett’s claims and ordered the company to take action.
Boeing told FOX Business in a statement: “We are saddened by the passing of Mr. Barnett and our thoughts are with his family and friends.”
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
