Philadelphia PHA Carl Greene Sex Scandal -- Which Mayor is to Blame?

PHILADELPHIA - The heat waves that battered Philadelphia in July were nothing compared to the sex scandal that heated up in August and resulted in the firing of Carl R. Greene, executive director of the Philadelphia Housing Authority (PHA), for being a "serial sexual harasser."

In 1998, then-Mayor, now Governor Ed Rendell, hired Carl R. Greene as executive director of the PHA, despite a pending sexual harassment suit against him. Greene was referred to by Rendell as "the best housing director in the nation." See PHA Scandal Carl Greene. I don't care how good a housing director he was, he was infamous for his inappropriate behavior, in Detroit and in Atlanta. One strike against Fast Eddie.

Former Mayor John Street, president of the PHA board, claims that the board had no knowledge of the sexual harassment suits because Greene and PHA attorneys manipulated the settlements so payouts were broken into separate payments by the insurance company and PHA, with the PHA amount falling under the $100,000 mark that would have required notifying the board. I say, any public monies spent should have had to be approved by the board. When the story broke, four more women came to Street privately and told them of their sexual harassment problems with Greene. In all, six female staffers filed complaints with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. See More Sexual Harassment Data Emerge.

Street said Greene was the "Tiger Woods of public housing." I beg to differ. The women involved with Woods were involved voluntarily, not because they feared for their jobs! I also fail to understand how the board could not have known of Greene's pattern of sexual harassment. When one woman went to file her complaint "against a PHA employee," the EEOC clerk answered her with "Against Carl Greene?" Are you telling me that the underground grapevine did not transmit information like this to the powers-that-be? I find that hard to believe. One strike against John Street.

Current Mayor Michael Nutter claims that it was not in his purview to monitor the PHA. Nutter wrote Street that he was "baffled" that Street and the board had no knowledge of the sexual harassment cases against Greene. Well, Mr. Nutter, I repeat my assertion that in no way do I believe that the tunnels of justice in Philadelphia weren't filled with whispered rumors and reports of Greene harassing women at PHA. Nutter may be the least blameless, but he should know what's going on in Philadelphia's public agencies, even if he has no direct authority. One strike against Mayor Nutter.

So, who do I blame? All of them. They knew. In April, attorney John M. Elliott of Elliott Greenleaf & Siedzikowski, sent copies of a letter to Rendell, Nutter, Street and four PHA board members, as well the City Controller, City Inspector General and City Council President. In the letter, a PHA employee accused Greene of "serial predatory sexual misconduct" against female staffers and demanded an investigation. He never received any response. See PHA chief accused of predatory sexual misconduct.

Greene checked himself into a mental health facility in August, was suspended by the Board, and was fired in mid-September. He is actually suing the PHA board, claiming he "suffered harm," that board members "embarrassed and humiliated" him and destroyed the good name of a "shrewd and capable leader." Plus, he wants his contract payout! Street called Greene's suit a legal maneuver enabling him to collect two years' salary. Hopefully his case will be declared "bad faith," and the board can recoup its legal costs.

Embarrassed and humiliated indeed! You're a disgrace, Carl Greene, and so are those that aided and abetted you.

Details of Harassment Charges; Sources: Uneven Start to Greene's Time in Philadelphia; Greene cover-up was deliberate; Nutter steps up pressure on Greene;