A former Boeing employee from Washington state has sued the aerospace company, alleging he was questioned about the Russia-Ukraine war and his Russian heritage before being wrongfully fired.
Snohomish County resident Alex Ivanov, who worked for Boeing from 2006 until his termination in July 2023, originally filed the lawsuit in King County Superior Court. Boeing transferred the lawsuit to federal court in Seattle on Wednesday.
Employee alleges investigation was biased
According to the complaint, Boeing terminated Ivanov after concluding he made workplace comments related to national origin that the company considered “derogatory and offensive.”
Ivanov disputes that conclusion and alleges Boeing’s investigation ignored evidence that supported him while relying on allegations made by another employee.
The complaint alleges a manager described Ivanov as a “blunt/direct person” and attributed that communication style to his national origin and a “possible cultural aspect.”
The lawsuit also alleges another Boeing employee told investigators that Ivanov had been the victim of racial prejudice from a second-level manager and that he had not made inappropriate comments about race or national origin.
According to the complaint, additional coworkers interviewed during the investigation said they had never heard Ivanov make offensive remarks about protected characteristics and had resolved any workplace disagreements directly with him.
Questions about Russia and Belarus
The lawsuit further alleges Boeing’s investigator misled Ivanov about the purpose of an interview that ultimately led to his termination.
According to the complaint, Ivanov believed the meeting would focus on promotional opportunities, not a misconduct investigation.
During the interview, the investigator allegedly questioned Ivanov about his Russian citizenship, Belarusian heritage, the war in Ukraine and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
According to the lawsuit, Ivanov responded that the war was “senseless” and explained that Lukashenko remained popular among some members of Belarus’ older generation because of his pension and health care policies.
Ivanov also alleges he was denied the opportunity to request union representation because he was not told the meeting could result in discipline.
Boeing moves case to federal court
The lawsuit alleges violations of Washington’s Law Against Discrimination, including race discrimination, national origin discrimination, wrongful termination and retaliation.
Boeing has not yet responded to the factual allegations in the lawsuit.
Instead, the company filed a Notice of Removal transferring the case from King County Superior Court to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, arguing the case qualifies for federal jurisdiction because the parties are citizens of different states and the amount in controversy exceeds $75,000.
In the filing, Boeing denies liability while seeking to have the case heard in federal court.
The lawsuit seeks economic damages, including lost wages and benefits, along with compensation for emotional distress, attorney fees and other relief.
According to Boeing’s removal filing, Ivanov earned an annual salary of approximately $123,000 before his termination, and the company estimates his claimed back pay alone exceeds $369,000 if he prevails.
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