HOUSTON - Metro President and CEO George Greanias returns to work Monday, about 12 days after he was suspended without pay for using the Metro Internet system to view pornography online.
According to Metro, Greanias accessed more than a dozen sites on his personal computer through Metro’s Internet system-during company time.
Metro Chairman Gilbert Garcia said the violations occurred on 14 days from February 9, 2011, to July 1, 2011.
The disciplinary action came as the result of an internal investigation.
Last year, Greanias had been hand-picked by the mayor to turn the troubled agency around.
"George Grenias came in and turned around an agency that had no real public support," said Bob Stein, political analyst for KHOU 11 News.
Now Grenias faces his toughest challenge yet: reinventing his own image in the public eye.
"It’s not right," said Cathy Young of Pearland. "There are rules against it and he disobeyed the rules."
"[His suspension] should have been a month, until they found out what to do with him," added Donald Bell, who lives in downtown Houston.
But Metro spokesperson Jerome Gray said they still have high expectations for Grenias.
"We are expecting him to continue to do the great things he has been doing," said Gray.
Greanias still has the support of the board as well.
Yet, experts say Metro may shift the spotlight from Greanias to their board chairman, Gilbert Garcia.
"[Garcia] will probably be the public spokesperson more often than George Grenias," said Stein. "You’ll see George intheday-to-day operations, but he maycease to be - how should I say this - as visible."
Greanias sent a letter to employees on July 28.
"The sites I accessed were of a sexual nature-to say the least, highly inappropriate, and embarrassing," Greanias wrote. "For what has happened, I apologize."
The suspension cost Greanias about $4,500.
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