Wilson Fauber is a real estate agent in Staunton, Virgina and President of Arise International Mission. At the height of the debate over so-called gay marriage in 2015 he posted a strong defense of biblical marriage. His attorney, Michael Sylvester of the Founding Freedoms Law Center, says no had a problem with it at the time. 
“In 2015 he wrote a social media post on behalf of his ministry, expressing the biblical view on marriage. And he expressed very strongly that the scriptures do not condone homosexuality,” Sylvester said.
But last year he ran for a city council seat in Staunton, and someone went back and dug up the post.
Waging a successful campaign was difficult for Fauber. At one point he pulled out of a candidates forum citing physical threats against him.
In an email sent to WHSV television station, Fauber’s campaign manager stated his, “campaign team has received information, which we deem credible, that an act/or acts of violence could occur either inside or outside the event site.”
Not only did Fauber’s social media post create the threat of violence and likely cost him the race, but the National Association of Realtors discovered it and now says the post violates one of its Standards of Practice on hate speech. The group called him in to a hearing last week and are threatening to kick him out of the association.
The group’s decision on Fauber should be known in a week or two, Fauber said.
Possible outcomes
“The Association of Realtors can't take away, necessarily, Wilson's state-issued license to practice real estate. But they can take away his access to the Multiple Listing Service. Large organizations are positioned to literally take away livelihoods,” Sylvester said.
Sylvester says the while the Association of Realtors is a private group and not subject to the First Amendment, taking away Fauber's access to the MLS has the same effect as censoring his free speech.
“This is the de facto removal of our constitutional rights,” Sylvester said.
