In 2015, a Robeson County poultry farmer filed a federal whistleblower complaint alleging that Perdue Farms retaliated against him after he publicly said Perdue sent him sick birds that the company refused to help treat.

Some were deformed, he said. Others were forced to grow so fast that the tired and heavy birds spent most of their time lying in their litter, which caused feathers to drop off. Some died of apparent illnesses just a few days after arriving at his farm, Craig Watts alleged in a whistleblower complaint to the U.S. Department of Labor.

Nearly a decade later, Perdue, one of the country’s largest poultry producers, is suing Watts and the DOL. The lawsuit, filed last week in federal court for the Eastern District of North Carolina, challenges the constitutionality of Watts’ case.

Over the years, the case was dismissed by an administrative law judge but brought back to life by courtroom fights.

“It’s much bigger than Craig versus Perdue,” said Watts of his battle with Perdue. “It’s all Davids versus all Goliaths. And I love the way that story ends, I’ll tell you that.”

If Perdue’s case is successful, it could put an end to whistleblower protections under several national laws, said Dana Gold, director of the Democracy Protection Initiative at the Government Accountability Project. The Washington, D.C.-based organization defends federal whistleblowers, including Watts.

“This is the core of why this lawsuit is potentially seismic,” Gold said. “We know...

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