General Discussion

DonViejo

(60,536 posts) Mon Mar 12, 2018, 01:37 PM Mar 2018

Fact Check. Was a Roanoke City Department of Social Services Worker Fired Over a Gun Permit?

Storm Durham's claim that she was fired over possessing a concealed carry permit is unconfirmed and in dispute.

CLAIM

Former Roanoke City Department of Social Services worker Storm Durham was fired from her job because she possessed a concealed carry permit.

RATING

UNPROVEN

ORIGIN

On 9 March 2018, a woman claiming to be a social worker working for the Roanoke, Virginia, social services department, tweeted that she had been fired from solely because she had a concealed carry permit. The woman, whose name is Storm Durham, also said that she would sue the city “for every penny”:

Link to tweet

Hours later, a meme appeared on the Facebook page “Chuck Callesto”:

-snip-

Although we were unable to substantiate those claims, the City of Roanoke’s Office of Communications sent us a statement refuting Durham’s claim on 12 March 2018:

A former employee of the City of Roanoke recently posted via social media assertions regarding the basis of her dismissal from City employment. Her posting has also been reported in other media. 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.

https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/was-a-dss-worker-fired-in-roanoke-city-over-a-gun-permit/

5 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Fact Check. Was a Roanoke City Department of Social Services Worker Fired Over a Gun Permit? (Original Post) DonViejo Mar 2018 OP

If the right is claiming she was., then no, of course not. Eliot Rosewater Mar 2018 #1

Last week, a DU'er had an OP asking if the story were true, after seeing it... DonViejo Mar 2018 #2

Total BS. Not a chance that would happen the way she said it. bitterross Mar 2018 #3

Well, she could have been fired for having a concealed carry permit if along with the permit, she... haele Mar 2018 #4

Love the personal work reference. NCTraveler Mar 2018 #5

Eliot Rosewater

(31,112 posts)

1. If the right is claiming she was., then no, of course not.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2018, 01:40 PM

Mar 2018

DonViejo

(60,536 posts)

2. Last week, a DU'er had an OP asking if the story were true, after seeing it...

Reply to Eliot Rosewater (Reply #1)

Mon Mar 12, 2018, 02:04 PM

Mar 2018

at the Daily Caller and hearing about from Sucker Carlson. I sent the info to Snopes, they responded today.

bitterross

(4,066 posts)

3. Total BS. Not a chance that would happen the way she said it.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2018, 02:46 PM

Mar 2018

Every city, every state personnel department has a process for discipline and termination. No possible way the city dismissed someone for holding a perfectly legal permit issued by the state.

If she really was escorted out as a safety risk to the building something else happened.

haele

(12,661 posts)

4. Well, she could have been fired for having a concealed carry permit if along with the permit, she...

Reply to bitterross (Reply #3)

Mon Mar 12, 2018, 03:21 PM

Mar 2018

continued to create issues with her weapon even after being told she could not, such as
1 - bringing her concealed weapon into her workplace, a court or other restricted setting without first getting approval from site security to do so and refusing to turn over the weapon per the law, or
2 - she regularly created a hostile workplace or threatened co-workers with claims of what she could do because she had the permit as in ending arguments or escalating them with statements like "You better not cross me, I have a concealed carry permit and you never know when I'm carrying."

I've seen both happen over the years - some people don't think workplace regulations continue to apply to them once they get a permit or a license that gives them a specific right in public.

Haele

NCTraveler

(30,481 posts)

5. Love the personal work reference.

Reply to DonViejo (Original post)

Mon Mar 12, 2018, 03:31 PM

Mar 2018

"Serving as a damn good social worker."

I imagine that will make it on her resume, as well.

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