A Virginia realtor accused of "hate speech" for posting a Bible verse on Facebook has been found "guilty" of an ethics violation.
The Virginia Association of Realtors ruled on December 11 that Wilson Fauber of Staunton violated the ethics code that prohibits realtors from "certain religious expressions." Fauber maintains he did nothing wrong and is expected to appeal.
This started to come to light last year when the 70-year-old Fauber, a realtor and pastor, decided to run for Staunton City Council. Long before his decision to run, Fauber had reposted a scripture from Rev. Franklin Graham on his personal Facebook page in 2015. It stated that homosexual sex is a sin, based on Leviticus 18:22. Then last year, two Staunton realtors, including an openly gay man, filed a complaint with the Virginia Association of Realtors accusing Fauber of "hate speech."
When asked why he believes this is all coming out now in 2024, Fauber said, "Because the National Association of Realtors is woke. The leadership of the National Association of Realtors has made it very clear about their involvement in endorsing and approving of the LGBTQ community, and just recently, just a few weeks ago actually, in Charlottesville, Virginia, the National Association of Realtors provided funding for a Drag Queen Show."
The Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors did host a Drag Show in November in the name of a "Fair Housing Symposium", which was reportedly funded in part by the National Association of Realtors' "fair housing grant." We contacted the N.A.R. for a comment and no one has responded to our request.
Fauber's attorney sees it as a double standard that the N.A.R. can use realtor money to fund drag shows but Fauber can't post a Bible scripture on his Facebook page. "That's the position that's being suggested, correct," said Michael Sylvester with Founding Freedoms Law Center.
He tells CBN news that while this is a violation of free speech, there's a catch. "So, it all changed in 2020 when the National Association of Realtors adopted a rule that prohibits anybody from speaking what they deem 'hate speech' against certain protected classes such as sexual orientation or gender identity. But what's incredible here is the post that Wilson made was in 2015, five years before that rule even existed. He simply was presenting his religious views about marriage that should not qualify for a hate speech charge," Sylvester said.
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For now, Fauber can keep his real estate license while pursuing a possible appeal. He says this "guilty ruling", however, sets a bad precedent and will likely affect other organizations, not just realtors.
"Christians don't have rights, and this is just totally wrong. And the National Association of Realtors being the largest trade organization in America, they have set a precedent by adopting this policy. If I'm guilty because I post my religious beliefs in a meme or a scripture on my Facebook or social media accounts, and if that's guilty of "hate speech"… there are millions and millions of Christians that agree with my position, and we don't have a voice," Fauber said.
If the guilty verdict stands, Fauber could face fines as high as $15,000 and possibly lose his license which would likely end his real estate career.
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