Ochsner LSU employees booted in their parking lot without warning
SHREVEPORT, La – January 1 2022 A nurse at Ochsner LSU is among others waiting for the hospital to pay them back after what she calls a “heartbreaking” parking dispute.
Debbie Bell says when they tried to leave after their shift on December 9, they found their cars booted in their designated employee lot.
“They just spontaneously started booting people without calls, without notification,” Bell says.
It happened in a former paid parking lot in front of the hospital off Kings Highway. The hospital bought the lot and made it free for employees. Bell says there were no signs or warnings that the particular spots had become off limits.
Bell, who has worked at the hospital for 28 years, says she had just worked a 12-hour shift, only to find her car and those in three other spots immobilized.
“To come out to find your car booted to where you can’t move, you can’t leave for the day. You can’t contact anybody other than the person that’s out here booting and he’s of no help,” Bell said of her frustration. “All you can do is pay $90 under duress in order to leave your job for the day.”
Bell says she went back in to complain to the administration, but they were no help either.
Debbie Bell says her small black Buick was booted, as was the vehicle parked in front of her on December 9.
Bell shared pictures of the cars with boots parked inside painted lines of parking spots. Bell says she’s been parking there for a year.
She says she’s appealed her citation to the parking lot company, Admiral, that Ochsner LSU Shreveport hired to manage the lot.
“It’s just disheartening that you come up to do patient care, and you expect your employer to also to take care of their employees,” Bell said. “And all I’m asking is that we all be reimbursed and apologized to for basically coming to work and parking,” Bell said.
As Bell spoke with KTBS, we saw vehicles parked in the same spots where she and others were booted earlier this month. None of the vehicles we saw on Thursday were booted while we were there.
Ochsner LSU Shreveport’s spokeswoman, Tina Callecod, gave a written statement, reading in part, “We encourage any employee with concerns or difficulties in the (appeal) process to contact their leader, Human Resources or a facility administrator.”
Callecod said she could not comment on any individual personnel matters.
