Harvard student told to move out over legal guns

A graduate student at Harvard is being told by her landlord to move out of the apartment room she leases.

Because, according to a report in the Free Beacon, her roommates searched her personal belongings until they found her guns, and now they feel uncomfortable.

Dave Lewis, of Avid Management, told the publication in an email that, "Since it's clear that Leyla (Pirnie) wants to keep her firearms, it would be best for all parties if she finds another placed to live."

The demand for Pirnie to leave came after "her roommates searched her room while she was not home," the report explained. They found her firearms, which are legal, as she is in compliance with all applicable laws.

"That prompted one of the roommates to email Lewis requesting he verify that Pirnie was in compliance with applicable firearms laws," the report said.

The roommate complained to the landlord, the report said, stating, "We discussed with Leyla that all of us are uncomfortable with having firearms in the house, and that their presence causes anxiety and deprives us of the quiet enjoyment of the premise to which we are entitled."

Pirnie has responded with concerns about how the roommates "violated her privacy" and now are trying to "violate her rights."

"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."

She said she was offered a number of different explanations for why her roommates violated her privacy.

"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.'"

Lewis acknowledged he contacted police and the officers reported Pirnie is not breaking any gun laws.

Pirnie "said her landlord's concern over some of her roommates being uncomfortable with legally owned firearms is misplaced and his request that she move out is inappropriate," the Beacon said.

"What I find uncomfortable is coming home to find out that six people I barely know went into my bedroom without permission and went through every single one of my drawers, without any regard to my privacy whatsoever. My landlord's e-mail, though carefully crafted, showed tremendous prejudice against my right to legally have firearms."

She confirmed she owns firearms because of a previous relationship that was physically abusive.

"I have a real and legitimate reason as to why I want to protect myself," she said, the Beacon reported.

When Pirnie declined to move, Lewis threatened that she would be responsible for the entire $6,000 monthly rent if the other roommates left, the report said.

"I'm still very much so being threatened out of my apartment," she said. "Either I leave and incur moving expenses or my roommates move and I incur their rent expenses… Doesn't seem right," she said, the Beacon reported.