Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, May 4, 1993 TAG: 9305040056
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: DOUGLAS PARDUE STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
With voice cracking and eyes moist, McBride said that not even an offer of $1 million could have persuaded him to voluntarily resign as director of the agency he had run for 11 years.
Now McBride, 53, has filed suit demanding his $77,000-a-year job back and $1,375,000 in damages.
The suit, filed in federal court in Roanoke, accuses Robert Glenn, chairman of the board that oversees the housing authority, of slander and violation of McBride's rights to free speech and rights against unreasonable firing.
McBride accuses Glenn of spreading rumors implying that McBride and members of his staff may have defrauded the housing authority. The suit doesn't say how he was rumored to have cheated the authority. McBride points out in the suit that two subsequent audits revealed "no evidence of fraud, irregularity or malfeasance."
The suit indicates that the dispute between McBride and Glenn may have been sparked by differences over travel expenses that Glenn filed after a trip to a conference in New Orleans.
The rumors and his firing have hurt his reputation and his ability to get other jobs, McBride says in the suit.
McBride could not be reached Monday. His Richmond attorney, James B. Thorsen, declined to comment.
Glenn said he couldn't comment on the suit except to repeat that McBride was fired because of "incompatibility" with the board's concept of how the authority should operate.
Clinton Morse, Glenn's attorney, said "it's unfortunate when frivolous lawsuits are brought against constructive community servants. . . . They have more positive ways to spend their time."
When McBride was fired May 2, 1992, Glenn said that McBride was removed only because of unsatisfactory job performance. He also emphasized that "there is no suggestion of unlawful conduct or other impropriety."
Glenn and McBride had sparred over operation of the housing authority since early 1991, when Glenn was named chairman. Glenn wanted residents of the city's 11 public housing projects to have more control. McBride preferred centralized control. Glenn also criticized McBride for being unresponsive to his requests for financial and other information.
Neva Smith, who was appointed to replace McBride last fall, said in a recent interview that she was surprised to discover that none of the department heads who reported to McBride ever had been required to make budgets accounting for their department's handling of expenses.
She said she is setting up a system of financial accountability of individual departments and sections.
Glenn was not the only person who wanted McBride removed. Only two of the seven board members voted against his firing. And other community leaders who work with the poor wanted to see him go.
Henry Woodward, head of the Roanoke Legal Aid Society, said at the time that under McBride the housing authority viewed itself as a "sort of model prison camp" where "tenants are the enemy" - tolerated only as long as they stay in their place.
Ted Edlich, head of Total Action Against Poverty, said McBride's administration was characterized by an attitude of "condescension" and lack of respect toward the poor.
When informed of McBride's firing, Edlich responded "it's overdue. I applaud it."
McBride was accused by Edlich, Glenn and others of seeing accomplishment in terms of brick and mortar instead of people.
by CNB