Perdue Attacks DOL Judge System, Adding to Post-Jarkesy Lawsuits

Poultry producer Perdue Farms Inc. is asking a North Carolina federal court to block a US Labor Department administrative law judge from overseeing a case accusing the company of retaliating against a whistleblower, arguing that the proceeding violates its right to a jury trial.

Perdue’s Tuesday request to the Eastern District of North Carolina is at least the second lawsuit to target the agency’s ALJs following the US Supreme Court’s June ruling in SEC v. Jarkesy. Comcast Corp. filed a similar case earlier this month.

In Jarkesy, the justices said defendants are entitled to jury trials—as opposed to proceeding before ...