Harvard Student Is Told To Move Out of Apartment Over Legally Owned Firearms

A Harvard student’s landlord has told her to move out of her apartment after her roommates expressed discomfort with her legally owned firearms.
 

Leyla Pirnie, a Harvard University graduate student, received a letter from the owner of the apartment complex stating it would be best if she left.

"Since it's clear that Leyla wants to keep her firearms, it would be best for all parties if she finds another place to live," Dave Lewis, president of Avid Management, told the household in a letter, according to The Washington Free Beacon. 

Pirnie says her roommates invaded her privacy having searched her room while she was away from their apartment. Their reason for doing this:  Pirnie owned a MAGA hat. 

"A few weeks ago, I came back to my apartment from a weekend trip and was confronted by one of my roommates who asked if I had guns in the house," she told the Free Beacon. "After being told far too many lies to count, my roommates finally admitted that they searched my closet, under my bed, and all of my drawers in pursuit of finding my guns."

"When I asked them why they were in my room to begin with, they each came up with completely contradicting stories (none of which made any sense), but one comment struck me in particular: ‘We saw that you had a MAGA hat and come on, you're from Alabama… so we just kind of assumed that you had something,'" she said. 

"I asked why they didn't just call me and ask me before intruding. One of the girls responded that fear took over her body and she felt compelled to search my room until she found proof… I cannot make this up."

Pirnie says when she was confronted by her roommates she explained to them she was a legal gun owner and was trained in the safe handling of firearms. But the roommates weren’t interested in her safety training, they were more concerned that the guns “might go off on their own” or that someone would break in and turn the guns on them.

According to the Free Beacon:

“In response to the email from Pirnie's roommate, Lewis [the landlord] contacted Captain James Donovan of the Somerville Police Department to inspect Pirnie's firearms and ensure they were in compliance with Massachusetts law. Pirnie agreed to allowing the police to inspect her firearms and said she was told she is in compliance with all applicable laws.”

"Nobody has bothered to question, ‘Well, why do you want to have protection? Could it be because you've experienced something where you need to protect yourself as you see fit?'" she said. "I have a real and legitimate reason as to why I want to protect myself."

The student says she was in a physically abusive relationship which led her to purchase the firearms. She claims her explanations have been ignored even though she shared these details with her roommates. 

The Free Beacon also reports:

“When Pirnie and her father rejected Lewis's request that she move out in the middle of studying for finals, Lewis responded by saying his request "was based strictly on practical and not idealogical (sic) terms." He then warned that if the other roommates moved out Pirnie would have to pay their rent.”

So if she or her roommates move out, she would suffer a great loss; whether financially or emotionally.

Pirnie feels all of this has happened because she is a gun owner and says she is ‘very much being threatened out of her apartment.’

"Either I leave and incur moving expenses or my roommates move and I incur their rent expenses… Doesn't seem right.

"Not only is this a blatant violation of my privacy, but it's also a violation of my rights."

When people can violate your privacy with no consequences and get you kicked out of your place of dwelling without giving you a fair shake, you know you’re dealing with a liberal. Just saying.