Montana-based realtor and pastor Brandon Huber is upping his defense against alleged hate speech.
As we reported last month, Huber, who was previously connected with Windermere Real Estate, reportedly called the LGBTQ community “an abomination” and broke ties with a food assistance program that promoted Pride month. Windermere then moved to distance themselves from the realtor as Ryan Weyandt, CEO of The LGBTQ+ Real Estate Alliance, penned an op-ed, arguing that it was time for Huber to step aside from his role in real estate.
Huber then filed his own lawsuit against the Missoula Organization of Realtors, claiming that the National Association of Realtors’ Code of Ethics on hate speech was too vague to be enforced. And now, new court documents reported on by Inman indicate Huber is calling on NAR as a defendant.
The new filing claims NAR and MOR are unlawfully punishing Huber for exercising the rights given to him under the Montana Human Rights Act, which “makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice to deny a person access to or membership or participation in a multiple listing service [or] real estate brokers’ organization because of religion.”
MOR’s hearing panel was set to review Huber’s case in December, however the lawsuit has prevented MOR from making a decision on Huber’s standing in the organization.
NAR issued the following statement, in part, in regards to the new filing: “We are currently reviewing the amended lawsuit, but upon initial review, the allegations contain numerous inaccuracies regarding the National Association of Realtors’ policies on hate speech as set forth in Article 10 of NAR’s Code of Ethics. NAR and the Missoula Organization of Realtors have a deep commitment to non-discrimination,” NAR Vice President of Communications Mantill Williams told Inman.
A hearing date has yet to be set.