Day Two of the SRHS Settlement Hearing

There is still no decision by U.S District Judge Louis Guirola after another long day in court hearing from attorneys to determine if the Singing River Health pension plan settlement is fair and reasonable. The two long days in court are over.
News 25’s Kristen Durand was at the federal courthouse in Gulfport as the court heard from several witnesses called by retiree attorneys Earl Denham and Harvey Barton.
After two days in court, it’s now a waiting game as Judge Louis Guirola reviews evidence to determine whether the Singing River pension settlement is fair for thousands of retirees. Retiree attorney Earl Denham said, “I like Judge Guirola. He’s going to make an opinion and I wouldn’t predict exactly when it will come down but I don’t think it will be a long time. We’ll look at that opinion and decide whether or not it gives our people proper relief and if it doesn’t, what we have to do to get proper relief.”
The settlement gives the health system 35 years to pay back the $55 million unaccounted for between 2009 and 2014 which would total nearly $150 million with interest. It would also release Singing River Health System and Jackson County from any liability and would require the county to pay the hospital more than $13 million. SRHS attorney Kelly Sessoms said, “We think that the overwhelming evidence and testimony that was submitted leads to the conclusion that this is a fair settlement. It was reached over many months in negotiations. We had an able mediator, Judge David Houston, who got the parties together and several mediation sessions. There was a lot of give and take on both sides but in the end, the amount of money that’s going to be contributed, I think is the best that can be accomplished under the circumstances.”
Multiple retirees who oppose the settlement took the stand, many of their lives turned upside with fear of losing their homes. Their concern was the uncertainty of how much the hospital will pay and for how long. Some retirees welcomed the settlement, eager to move forward with their lives. “These people, I think, a lot of them in the class got the idea that they just had to settle for this because there was no guarantor. Nothing can be further from the truth. Apparently, nobody ever told them the county ultimately is responsible. The county, as you well know, can raise taxes if that’s what it has to do in order to make sure the retirements are restored,” said Denham.
Judge Guirola says he will carefully review the evidence and documents, saying he’s more concerned about making a right decision than making a fast one.