More Restraining Orders Filed Against Singing River

More restraining orders are being filed against Singing River Health System (S.R.H.S.) over its pension plan troubles. Lawyers representing retired hospital employees are vowing to file new restraining orders almost every week until they get answers in this case.

For 16 years, Howard Bosarge worked in the construction department at S.R.H.S. Tuesday in a Pascagoula chancery court, Bosarge tried to file the third restraining order against Singing River to keep the hospital from terminating its pension plan. Bosarge says, “It puts me in a bind because it kind of boils down to my only source of income. I feel horrible about it. I feel like it’s a bad nightmare, a bad nightmare.”

Bosarge’s restraining order comes on the heels of another hospital retiree, Maury Thompson. He’s the second person to file a restraining order. Thompson says he was counting on his pension to support him and his wife. Thompson says, “It was supposed to be for the rest of my life and I took out less a month so it would be for the rest of my wife’s life after my death.”

Tuesday was actually the hearing for Thompson’s restraining order, but Chancery Court Judge, Neil Harris, declined to rule on the case since it’s been removed to federal court. He didn’t let Bosarge file his restraining order since there were no lawyers present for S.R.H.S. Judge Harris ruled it was unfair for S.R.H.S. to not be present at Tuesday’s hearing, so the judge ruled the health system be notified and set a new court date for Wednesday. Harvey Barton, lawyer for Thompson and Bosarge, says, “They actually were aware of the hearing today. I mean for Maury Thompson. I invited them to attend. They declined to do so because the case was removed.”

Lawyers, Harvey Barton and Earl Denham, have represented all three retirees filing restraining orders against the health system. They say their strategy is to keep filing overlapping orders until they can get the case out of federal court. The second restraining order is due to expire Friday, and the third order could be filed as soon as Wednesday and will be effective for 10 days.