Boeing whistleblower said he was harassed and humiliated before his death

Earlier this month, former Boeing employee John Barnett was found dead by officials in Charleston, South Carolina. He allegedly suffered a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials said. His body was found in a car parked in a hotel parking lot while he was testifying against his former employer.

Barnett’s mysterious death could not have come at a worse time for his former employer, as Boeing continues to make headlines for its repeatedly malfunctioning aircraft.

Now, local news station from Charleston WCSC has obtained a redacted version of the lawsuit Barnett filed against the aerospace giant in 2017, which sheds more light on the company’s alleged retaliation and tactics to silence Barnett.

According to the documents, Barnett was “separated from his team and transferred to other areas of the plant. He was also blacklisted and prevented from being transferred to other Boeing departments.”

“In addition, he was subjected to a gaslighting campaign in which he was bullied, denigrated, humiliated, and treated with derision and contempt by upper management, designed to discourage him and others from raising such issues and complying with the law,” the filing states. “Based on the totality of the circumstances, such conduct amounted to a hostile work environment and resulted in Barnett’s constructive termination.”

Barnett retired in 2017 after working at Boeing for 30 years. During his time at the company, he noticed how “parts were stolen from an aircraft and installed into an incomplete aircraft without any documentation, traceability or technical review,” the documents say.

The lawsuit highlights a 2012 incident in which a supervisor allegedly pressured him to “work outside of standard procedures” but “did not initiate an investigation.”

Given the recent evidence, there may be at least some truth to Barnett’s allegations.

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has since identified numerous problems with Boeing’s production practices following an audit. The trigger was a “door plug” that ripped from the fuselage of an Alaska Airlines 737 Max 9, forcing the pilots to make an emergency landing in January.

“The FAA has identified violations in Boeing’s control of manufacturing processes, parts handling and storage, and product control,” the FAA wrote in a statement in March.

A separate FAA report, released in February by a panel of industry experts, accused the company of failing to keep its safety promises.

Even the circumstances of his death have now been questioned, suggesting the, albeit unlikely, possibility of foul play.

Barnett’s lawyer Brian Knowles told the blog Reporter for white collar crimethat he had seen “no signs” of a suicide risk. “Nobody can believe that.”

Other people close to the informant also expressed this view.

“I said, ‘Aren’t you scared?'” a woman who identified herself as Barnett’s friend told South Carolina’s ABC4 News last week. “And he said, ‘No, I’m not afraid, but if something happens to me, it’s not suicide.'”

More about Barnett: Boeing whistleblower’s lawyers say they saw “no signs” of suicide risk