Something is not right! A second Boeing whistleblower has tragically passed away under unexpected circumstances… raising even more eyebrows about the company and its safety failures on its passenger jets.
According to Fox News, Joshua Dean, a quality inspector for Boeing supplier Spirit AeroSystems, died this week after battling a surprise “infection” that left him in critical condition for several days. Per the Seattle Times, Dean’s death was caused by Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), an antibiotic-resistant staph infection commonly known for its severity.
Dean’s aunt, Carol Parsons, told the outlet that he had been fired from his job in 2023 and subsequently filed a retaliation complaint with federal labor officials. At the time, he alleged that his termination was a direct result of speaking out. Additionally, Dean had also given a deposition in connection with a shareholder lawsuit, where he reported dangerous faults in components of Boeing’s 737 MAX plane which has been linked to major incidents in recent years.
Dean’s attorneys, Brian Knowles and Rob Turkewitz told Fox News Digital: “Our thoughts and prayers are with Josh and his family. Josh’s passing is a loss to the aviation community and the flying public. He possessed tremendous courage to stand up for what he felt was true and right and raised quality and safety issues.”
Interestingly, Dean was being represented by the same law firm that was working for another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett. As previously reported, Barnett was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 9. His death came just a day after giving a deposition for his own retaliation lawsuit. Barnett had sued Boeing, alleging retaliation, harassment, and espionage by the company.
Although attorney Knowles, told The Seattle Times that he really didn’t want to speculate the strange timing of Dean’s death, he noted that “Whistleblowers are needed. They bring to light wrongdoing and corruption in the interests of society. It takes a lot of courage to stand up,” Knowles said.