Restraining Orders to be Filed Against S.R.H.S. Until Answers Come Out

Thursday, the first restraining order against Singing River Health System (S.R.H.S.) has expired, but a new one has already been filed in chancery court.

Pascagoula attorney, Harvey Barton, is vowing to continue to file restraining orders against the hospital until he gets answers about the failed pension plan. Barton tells News 25 he will file new restraining orders with new clients every week to keep the hospital from terminating its pension plan. Barton says, “So next week, we’ll have to file another restraining order, and another restraining order until we get this case brought back out of federal court and get it back in front of Judge Harrison in chancery court.”

According to Barton, lawyers from Singing River offered him an agreement that would have protected the pension plan of his first client, Cynthia Almond, but Barton says he wants an agreement that will protect the pensions of all current and former Singing River employees, and more importantly, he wants answers from the hospitals top executives. Barton also says, “If they had not removed this case to federal court this past Friday, I had Chris Anderson under subpoena, I had Kevin Holland under subpoena, I had many of the trustees under subpoena. I’d put them on the stand, under oath, and start asking questions, and we will get to the bottom of this.”

Earlier this week, the Jackson County Board of Supervisors announced it had entered into its own agreement with the hospital where the pension plan would not be terminated for a period of 90 days or less, but Barton doesn’t trust the deal. Barton also says, “They’ve already shown a propensity to breach the contract once, that was in place with the employees. What’s gonna’ stop them from breaching it again? Give me a court order that protects all of the employees and all of the retirees and then I’ll quit fighting.”

To help communicate litigation in this matter, S.R.H.S.’s outside legal council has retained a public relations consulting firm. According to hospital spokesperson, Richard Lucas, the consulting firm will not be paid from the employee pension plan and the hospital will continue to communicate to the public and the media on its own.

Lucas closes, “It won’t change a thing with our communication with the community or the media. I’ll still be our primary spokesman and our primary contact.”