US judge rejects Boeing plea deal in fatal MAX 737 crashes | Aviation News [Video]

A United States federal judge has rejected a deal that would have let Boeing plead guilty to a felony conspiracy charge and pay a fine for misleading US regulators about the 737 Max jetliner before two of the planes crashed, killing 346 people.

US District Judge Reed O’Connor in Texas on Thursday said that diversity, inclusion and equity – or DEI – policies in the government and at Boeing could result in race being a factor in picking an official to oversee Boeing’s compliance with the agreement.

The ruling creates uncertainty around the criminal prosecution of the aerospace giant in connection with the development of its bestselling airline plane.

The judge gave Boeing and the Justice Department 30 days to tell him how they plan to proceed. They could negotiate a new plea agreement, or prosecutors could move to put the company on trial.

The Department of Justice said it …