Boeing settles lawsuit after whistleblower’s surprise death, by paying $50,000

At the time of his death, Barnett was in the middle of a deposition in a whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing. Barnett, who spent 32 years at the company before leaving in 2017, had accused Boeing management of mistreating 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 by 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.

Meanwhile, Boeing posted revenue of $22.7 billion for the April–June quarter, its strongest showing in six years, signalling a rebound in aircraft production and deliveries after years of turbulence. Despite the surge in sales, the planemaker remained in the red, reporting a quarterly loss of $612 million. However, that marked a sharp improvement from the $1.4 billion loss it logged in the same period last year