FILE PHOTO: A person holds a picture of John Barnett as Boeing CEO Kelly Ortberg testifies before a Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee hearing about Boeing’s commitment to address safety concerns in the wake of a January 2024 mid-air emergency involving a new 737 MAX, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 2, 2025. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/File Photo

(Corrects first paragraph to reflect that Boeing reached a settlement, did not file it)

(Reuters) -Boeing reached a settlement on Friday in a wrongful death lawsuit brought by the mother of John Barnett, a former Boeing worker who raised concerns about the planemaker's production that was potentially putting passengers at risk.

In the settlement filed in the U.S. District Court in South Carolina, Boeing agreed to pay at least $50,000 to Barnett's mother, who agreed to drop her claims that the company contributed to her son's death by suicide on March 9, 2024.

At the time of his death, Barnett was in the middle of a deposition in a whistleblower retaliation case against Boeing. He spent 32 years at the company before leaving in 2017. After leaving the company, Barnett accused Boeing management of mistreating him in retribution for raising concerns.

The settlement also includes undisclosed terms resolving the retaliation claim, which Barnett's mother pursued on his behalf.

Boeing, in a statement, 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."

The attorneys representing Barnett's mother, Robert Turkewitz and Brian Knowles, could not be immediately reached for comment.

(Reporting by Dan Catchpole in Seattle; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)