Family of Boeing whistleblower John Barnett blames ‘hostile work environment’ for his death

The family of the Boeing whistleblower found dead on the day he was scheduled to testify against the jetplane manufacturer blamed the company’s “hostile work environment” for his apparent suicide.

“He was suffering from PTSD and anxiety attacks as a result of being subjected to the hostile work environment at Boeing which we believe led to his death,” relatives of John Barnett said in the first remarks since his death.

Barnett — who worked for the jetliner giant for more than three decades as a quality inspector and manager before retiring in 2017 — was found dead from what the Charleston County coroner ruled a “self-inflicted” gunshot wound in his truck in the parking lot of his South Carolina hotel on Saturday.

The engineer was due in court to provide further testimony in his whistleblower lawsuit against the company but never showed. A welfare check was requested and his body was discovered in his orange pickup with a silver handgun still in his hand.

Barnett, 62, loved working for Boeing until 2010 when he was transferred to Boeing’s 787 plant in Charleston, his family said Tuesday.

“Things greatly changed for him when he learned that upper management was pressuring the quality inspectors and managers to cut corners and to not follow processes and procedures which they were required by law to follow,” the family said.

They said Boeing pressured workers to look past defects to avoid slowing down the assembly line and those who refused “were labeled as trouble makers, retaliated against, and subjected to a hostile work environment.”

Barnett — who was known as “Mitch” to family and “Swampy” to friends — told his family it was an every-day battle to get management to do the right thing.

“He was deeply concerned about the safety of the aircraft and flying public, and had identified some serious defects that he felt were not adequately addressed,” the relatives said.

“He said that Boeing had a culture of concealment and was putting profits over safety,” they added.

The job he once loved became so stressful, Barnett’s doctor grew concerned for his health.

“It caused him so much stress that his doctor told him that if he stayed, he would have a heart attack,” the statement said.

Barnett filed his complaint against his employer in 2017 and “was looking forward to his day in court.”

“Mitch carried all this on his shoulders to try to bring this all to light in the interest of the flying public,” his family stated.

Charleston police are investigating the circumstances of Barnett’s death — which his lawyers have raised questions about.

“We are saddened by Mr. Barnett’s passing, and our thoughts are with his family and friends,” Boeing said in a statement. It did not comment directly on the contents of his family’s statement.

The airplane manufacturer has been under intense backlash following the mid-air blowout of a door plug on an Alaska Airlines flight in January.

A Federal Aviation Administration audit found dozens of problems throughout Boeing’s 737 MAX jet manufacturing process, including “unacceptable” quality control issues.

If you are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can dial the 24/7 National Suicide Prevention hotline at 988 or go to SuicidePreventionLifeline.org.