A former manager at a company that produces specialized parts for the aerospace industry is suing his ex-employer, alleging he was laid off in June in a backlash for alerting management that some parts were not meeting safety specifications.
Fred Boyd’s Los Angeles Superior Court lawsuit, filed against Valencia-based ITT Aerospace Controls Inc., alleges management considered profits more important than public safety. Boyd’s claims are for wrongful termination and whistleblower retaliation. He seeks unspecified compensatory and punitive damages in the suit filed Thursday.
An ITT representative did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the suit, which focuses in part on computer numerical control machining, a manufacturing method in which pre-programmed computer software dictates the movement of factory tools and machinery. The process can be used to control a range of complex machinery, from grinders and lathes to mills and CNC routers.
“This action arises from ITT’s unconscionable and unlawful retaliation against plaintiff for making protected whistleblower complaints about ITT’s failure to document the measurements for the CNC manufactured parts, many of which were used in Boeing commercial airplanes,” according to the suit.
Boyd was hired last Oct. 23 as a manager in charge of lean and continuous improvement at ITT. His duties included oversight of the business process improvement team. He also was in charge of the overall improvement of manufacturing and assembly processes, team development and standardized approach compliance
The critical parts made by ITT include the fire shutoff valve and fuel transfer valves for primary customer Boeing as well as Lockheed, which if made outside specifications could cause a “critical issue” with a plane, according to the suit.
Boyd believes that ITT Valencia never documented any of the measurements of the CNC manufactured parts to make sure that the part was manufactured according to the part’s design specifications, according to the complaint.
“This not only violated the contractual requirements ITT had with its customers, but it also posed a substantial danger to the public, as many of the parts ITT manufactured were flight-critical parts,” the suit alleges. “If the manufactured part were to fail, it could cause a critical issue with the commercial airplane and pose significant safety issue to the passengers on board.”
Although Boyd repeatedly raised his safety concerns repeatedly, ITT did not fix the problems because of economic concerns, the complaint further alleges.
“Thus, ITT prioritized corporate profitability over public safety which culminated in plaintiff’s unlawful termination,” the suit states.
Boyd was laid off on June 21 and management told him it was due to an “organization restructuring,” which the plaintiff believes was an excuse to strip him of his job for being outspoken about safety, the suit states.
Boyd has suffered financial losses and emotional distress since being laid off, according to the suit.