Boeing whistleblower died by suicide, mother alleges

John Barnett accused planemaker of retaliation over quality concerns

BBC News, 18 March

The mother of a former Boeing quality manager-turned-whistleblower who died earlier this month told CBS News she holds the aircraft manufacturing giant responsible for his death.

John Barnett, 62, was found dead in his garage in South Carolina on 9 March. His death is being investigated as a suicide by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.

Barnett was in Charleston for a deposition for a lawsuit in which he accused Boeing of retaliating against him for making complaints about quality concerns on the 737 Max jet.

His mother, Carol Barnett, told CBS News that she believes Boeing "bullied" her son and "drove him to his death".

Boeing has denied any wrongdoing and said it is "deeply saddened" by Barnett's death.

Barnett was a former quality control manager at Boeing in South Carolina. He was fired in 2018 after he raised concerns about the quality of the 737 Max jet, which was later involved in two fatal crashes.

Barnett filed a lawsuit against Boeing in 2020, alleging that the company had retaliated against him for speaking out about safety concerns.

The lawsuit is ongoing.