Boeing settles lawsuit after whleblower’s surprise death, paying $50,000 | World News

At the time of his death, Barnett was in the middle of a deposition in a whleblower retaliation case against Boeing. (Representational image)

Boeing reached a settlement on Friday in a wrongful death lawsuit brought the mother of John Barnett, a former employee who had raised concerns about the planemaker’s production practices that he said were potentially putting passengers at risk.

As per a report Reuter, which cited a filing in the US Drict Court in South Carolina, Boeing agreed to pay at least $50,000 to Barnett’s mother, who dropped her claims that the company contributed to her son’s death suicide on March 9, 2024.
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At the time of his death, Barnett was in the middle of a deposition in a whleblower retaliation case against Boeing. Barnett, who spent 32 years at the company before leaving in 2017, had accused Boeing management of mreating him in retribution for raising safety concerns.

The settlement also includes undisclosed terms resolving the retaliation claim, which Barnett’s mother pursued on his behalf.

In a statement, Boeing said: “We are saddened Mr. Barnett’s death and extend our condolences to his family as we reach this resolution. Boeing took actions several years ago to review and address the issues that Mr. Barnett raised.”

Attorneys representing Barnett’s mother, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, could not be immediately reached for comment, Reuters reported.