Pastor fighting to keep realtor license after complaints about biblical social media posts

December 6, 2024

A Virginia Realtor who made a social media post in 2015 citing “the biblical view on marriage” is facing the possibility of losing his realtor license for allegedly violating industry standards.

The Christian Post reports that Wilson Fauber was required to appear before the Virginia Association of Realtors this week in a hearing to determine whether he violated the National Association of Realtors Standard of Practice 10-5.

The standard, which was adopted in 2020, forbids realtors from using “harassing speech, hate speech, epithets, or slurs based on race, color, religion, sex disability, familial status, national origin, sexual orientation, or gender identity.”

Fauber, who is also a Christian minister, faces scrutiny over social media posts dating back to 2015 when the U.S. Supreme Court was considering the case of Obergefell v. Hodges regarding same-sex marriage.

Fauber’s attorney, Michael Sylvester of the Founding Freedoms Law Center at the Virginia Family Foundation, said that, Fauber received no blowback from his Christian beliefs on the topic, at that time.

Sylvester told the Christian Post that Fauber, “still stands by his Christian beliefs on this topic,” adding, “He loves everyone. He serves everyone. He doesn’t hate anyone, he doesn’t discriminate against anyone, but he stands with the Word of God.” 

The case raises serious concerns about the free speech of other pastors who are also professionals such as doctors or lawyers and whether their speech or sermons might be constrained by shifting professional association standards.

Regarding the Standard Practice of 10-5, Fauber stated, It’s really an invasion of privacy. It’s a drastic overreach because the National Association of Realtors has voted to give themselves the power if they wish to police realtor social media of any type.” 

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