Boeing Board Calls Investor’s 737 Max 8 Crash Suit Premature

Boeing Co.’s beleaguered leadership pushed back against a Delaware lawsuit blaming the board’s lax oversight and “overemphasis on profit” for the safety flaws grounding the global 737 Max 8 fleet following a pair of deadly crashes.

The derivative suit seeks to hold Boeing’s directors responsible for damage to the company’s revenues and reputation following the crashes in Ethiopia and Indonesia, which killed 346 people in total and led to the Max 8’s worldwide grounding. It was filed in the Chancery Court last month by an individual shareholder.

The board moved to dismiss the suit’s fiduciary breach claims Nov. 22, ...