"We put our trust and confidence in him because he was delivering."
Street spoke at a news conference called outside PHA headquarters in Center City to rebut the claims in a lawsuit Greene filed yesterday, which seeks monetary damages and said board action violated his right to "due process" and damaged his reputation.
Street dismissed the lawsuit as merely the prelude to an approach by Greene to reach a negotiated settlement on the terms of his departure from PHA.
Street said he would "speculate" that the lawsuit is about Greene positioning himself to get as large a settlement as possible from PHA. His salary last year was $306,370, and he received a $44,188 bonus.
Street has stoutly defended the board from criticisms that its oversight of Greene was lax, and today said that if the sexual harassment complaints had not come to light, Greene would be still held in high regard for his work at PHA.
But Street also said that in granting Greene wide authority, the board may have gone too far.
"Too much power? I think so. A fair answer is over a period of time we ceded too much power to him."
Street said a total of four other woman have now come forward in recent days to say that Greene also sexually harassed them at PHA. Street has spoken with three of the women, he said. None have filed complaints, and he did not say when the alleged inappropriate behavior occurred. Those women are in addition to four who filed formal complaints.
The board agreed unanimously Aug. 26 to suspend Greene with pay pending an investigation into how the four formal complaints filed since 2004 were handled. Street said some PHA managers also may bear responsibility for the failure to notify the board of either the complaints or the settlements.
Quick board action on Greene's future is hindered by Greene's contract.
Greene sent a letter last month stating he would take a leave of absence until September, 13, which "limits our right to fire him," Street said.
"It's not yet Sept. 13, and he's on a leave based on his own letter."
Street also was dismissive of claims in Greene's lawsuit that the board has not give him a chance to defend his conduct.
Greene "went out of his way to avoid an opportunity to talk to the board," Street said.
Street has said Greene deserved to lose his job if a single one of the harassment claims proved to be true.
Today he added that outside attorneys hired by PHA to handle the sexual harassment claims may have had a professional obligation to inform the board of the settlements, even if Greene wanted them to remain secret.
Contact staff writer Nathan Gorenstein at 215-854-2797 or ngorenstein@phillynews.com.
