CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCBD)– This week Liam Wallis and his attorney filed suit against Boeing and two managers at the company. Wallis claims the company ignored safety concerns and violated internal safety checks in an effort to get final approval for planes made in Charleston County.
In the suit filed Monday, Wallis claims he was fired from Boeing after reporting his concerns to management.
According to the suit, Wallis was hired in April 2011 as a Quality Assurance Conformity Manager. His team was responsible for the inspection of newly manufactured aircrafts for safety compliance.
In August 2016, he left the organization under the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) for back surgery. When he returned in January 2017, he claims there was a backlog of issues that needed to be inspected, but employees wouldn’t sign off on inspection because of short-cuts taken while Wallis was on leave.
The suit alleges the company used out-of-date engineering; employed uncertified technicians to perform repairs; and violated internal policy in an effort to expedite final approval of aircrafts.
Boeing denies the allegations. On Friday, they provided a statement in response to the lawsuit.
“The Boeing Company and two Boeing South Carolina managers have been named in a lawsuit filed by Liam Wallis, a former Quality Systems Specialist, who was terminated on June 16, 2017, for falsifying aircraft inspection reports. Wallis is alleging claims for wrongful discharge in violation of public policy, civil conspiracy, and wage and hour violations alleging unpaid overtime. Specifically, Wallis claims that Boeing’s Quality Department failed to follow proper inspection protocols.
Boeing denies these allegations. Wallis was terminated after an internal investigation found that he submitted two falsified documents indicating that he witnessed required aircraft manufacturing tests that had not been completed. Boeing’s safety program discovered the discrepancy early in the production process, and the required tests were completed.
Boeing’s 787 Program has a strong culture of safety and compliance. The safety of our employees and the public is Boeing’s number one priority.”
