The family of John Burnett, a whistleblower who allegedly committed suicide after raising safety concerns about the airline's factory, filed an illegal death lawsuit against the company.
Reportedly, Burnett shot He himself was at the temple of his truck in the South Carolina hotel parking lot last year, days after harsh testimony for a lawsuit over Boeing safety standards.
His family alleged in an unlawful death lawsuit that Boeing “had been exposed to a campaign of harassment, abuse and threats aimed at humiliating a campaign of harassment, abuse and threats until he gave up or lost faith.”
“Boeing broke John and it threatened to break him,” court documents said.
Burnett retired in 2017 after working for more than 30 years at the company. He reportedly raised a lot of concerns about safety issues, particularly when he was working at a plant in Charleston, South Carolina.
The lawsuit alleges that Boeing retaliated against Burnett by inflicting poor employment reviews and less desirable changes to workers. Boeing also accused him of delays that confused his colleagues, preventing him from moving to another plant.
After retiring, Burnett became a whistleblower and spoke to journalists about his concerns. However, his speaking stress worsened and he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
“Whether Boeing intended to drive John to his death or simply destroy his ability to function, it was absolutely foreseeable that PTSD and John's unbearable depression, panic attacks and anxiety would lead to an increased risk of suicide,” the lawsuit states.
“Boeing may not have pulled the trigger, but Boeing's actions were a clear and foreseeable cause of John's death,” the lawsuit continued.
Burnett's family is seeking compensation for the emotional stress caused by his suicide, the lost benefits of future income over the decade, and other benefits.
Sean Moran is a policy reporter for Breitbart News. Follow him with x @seanmoran3.
