Dec 03 2024 21 mins
A Virginia real estate agent claims he's facing "professional ethics charges and could even lose his realtor status" over past statements about marriage. Wilson Fauber has been a broker and agent for over four decades, but he told CBN News he risks potential fines or even losing his real estate status after complaints over a social media post about same-sex marriage.
Fauber is also an ordained minister, making the case even more complex, according to his attorneys with The Founding Freedoms Law Center. His plight began last year when the realtor decided to run for the Staunton City Council in Virginia. "During my journey running for Staunton City Council, some of the opposition from a different party decided that they were going to scour my Facebook pages and see if they could find any dirt on me," Fauber told CBN News. "And they went back to 2015 and they found a Scripture that I posted from Leviticus ... where the Lord clearly states that homosexuality is an abomination to Him."
The eight-year-old post was then fodder for online furor and even messages "perceived as threats," forcing the then-candidate to go to the police for help. Fauber lost the election and, months later, purportedly received an email from the National Association of Realtors (NAR) explaining a complaint had been filed against him. The Virginia Association of Realtors, the local body of the NAR, is reportedly handling the complaint and Fauber's ethics case.
Michael Sylvester, an attorney with The Founding Freedoms Law Center who represents Fauber, said his client posted messages about the Bible and these issues "on behalf of his ministry." With the ethics hearing coming December 4, both Sylvester and Fauber said there are potentially sweeping ramifications ranging from fines of $5,000 to $15,000 to losing his license. A representative for the NAR had no comment when reached by CBN News and referred questions to the Virginia Association of Realtors, which is handling the case. The Virginia Association of Realtors has not yet responded to a separate request for comment.
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