City Challenges Former Social Worker’s Claim She Was Fired For Her Concealed-Carry Permit

Ryan Pickrell on March 14, 2018

A young woman claimed Friday she was fired from her Virginia job for possessing a concealed-carry permit, but the city is saying otherwise.

Storm Durham, who identified herself as a 22-year-old sexual assault survivor in now-deleted Facebook posts, asserted Friday she was fired from Roanoke City Social Services for “having a concealed-carry permit.” Three Roanoke police officers escorted Durham from the premises because she was deemed a “safety threat to the building,” she revealed.

I was fired today. From Roanoke City Social Services, serving as a damn good social worker. I was fired for having a concealed carry permit. Not the gun, the permit. I was escorted by 3 city police officers bc I am a “safety risk to the building”

— Storm Durham (@chelstorrm) March 10, 2018

“A former employee of the city of Roanoke recently posted via social media assertions regarding the basis of her dismissal from city employment,” the City of Roanoke Office for Communications said in a statement. “The city does not publicly comment on specific personnel matters. In light of these assertions, however, it is important to note that the city of Roanoke respects the Constitutional rights of its citizens and that the dismissal in question was not based upon anyone’s exercise of such rights.”

“The city of Roanoke has no policy or procedure that limits the right of employees to hold concealed-carry permits as authorized by the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia,” a city official told The Daily Caller News Foundation.

Durham was fired from her job for performance problems, unprofessional behavior, missed work, dress code violations, and workplace safety concerns, according to the notice of dismissal WSLS obtained.

Durham’s employers pointed to her possession of a concealed-carry permit when she asked about the “workplace safety concern,” she explained to WSLS Wednesday. Her supervisor previously broached the issue with her during a meeting in February, which was documented in the dismissal notice, Durham said in videos now deleted from Facebook.

The other reasons for her dismissal are unsubstantiated, Durham argued. The City of Roanoke would not provide clarification on “workplace safety concerns.”

Concerning the part of the narrative that police escorted her from the building, Snopes obtained the relevant police indicating Durham’s employers “wanted [the police] there because they didn’t know how Ms. Durham was going to react to the situation [presumably her dismissal].”

Durham has a large fan base, while she also received significant criticism for her story. She posted the following in response on Twitter Wednesday.

Continue to speak negative, insult my looks and voice, and not support my story. That is totally fine, you have an opinion as well and I support that. I will continue to remain positive and it will lead me to become a better person ☺

— Storm Durham (@chelstorrm) March 13, 2018

Durham did not respond to The Daily Caller News Foundation’s requests for clarification.

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