Boeing faces new lawsuit from former employee alleging it failed to provide a safe work environment

A shocking lawsuit filed against Boeing by a former employee alleges that the company failed to provide a safe environment for her.

Rachel Rasmussen worked as a crane mechanic at the Everett Factory from 1989 until 2024. She said she experienced harassment and sexual assault during her time there. She said it began in 2011 when she was making her gender transition.

“There would be body checks in the hallway, people wouldn’t work with me, I would get threatening glares,” she said. “Comments like, ‘Why don’t you grow thicker skin.’”

She said things got so bad she moved to a different position in the company’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion department.

“The harassment and the hate instances was really more than I could… I couldn’t take it anymore,” she said.

She said it was especially scary when she was still working as a crane mechanic.

“There was always that threat that somebody wouldn’t notify me if something was going to move or there was going to be some change in the environment because we are working at a height that is a dangerous fall hazard,” she said.

Rasmussen said the worst of the abuse happened when she was sexually assaulted by a male coworker with a broomstick.

“I have had more medical care for a cut finger than I did for that sexual assault,” she said.

Rasmussen reported the assault but said the employee was given training, a day off, and then was allowed to return to work.

“I again used an internal reporting system to question is this, was this done correctly? So I used the Speak Up portal and they said there was no issue with that person sexually assaulting me and keeping their job,” she said.

The lawsuit alleges that when a coworker tried to support her by putting a trans rights sticker on her locker, that employee was targeted too. The lawsuit says other employees bashed in that employee’s locker and put broomsticks in front of the locker door.

“It felt like the people who do the work don’t matter as long as you are efficient in getting your job done,” she said.

Rasmussen is seeking compensation for lost wages and harm done but ultimately said she wants to see change at Boeing.

“In this case we’ve seen Boeing over and over again make hollow promises about safety and about valuing safety and about valuing their employees but again they’ve betrayed those promises, they’ve betrayed Rachel,” Jay Free, her attorney, said.

KIRO 7 reached out to Boeing about this lawsuit and was told they are not commenting on this.

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