Speaker: Rep should resign amid sexual misconduct report

NASHVILLE – Republican House Speaker Beth Harwell wants a lawmaker’s resignation after three women have accused him in a report of sexual misconduct as their high school basketball coach decades ago.

Hours before WSMV-TV’s report Tuesday, Harwell spokeswoman Kara Owen told the station Harwell thinks Republican Rep. David Byrd should resign. In the report, two women allege Byrd inappropriately touched them. The third said Byrd tried to.

One woman said she called Byrd last month and recorded it. In the call, which WSMV-TV aired, Byrd apologized but didn’t detail his actions, and denied anything happened with other students.

A spokesman said Byrd plans to fight most allegations and had no intention of resigning.

Republican Rep. Jeremy Durham was expelled over sexual misconduct allegations in September 2016 and Republican Rep. Mark Lovell resigned over allegations in February.