Harwell calls for Rep. David Byrd to resign ahead of report alleging sexual misconduct

House Speaker Beth Harwell is calling for yet another Republican lawmaker to resign as he faces allegations of inappropriate sexual conduct.

On Tuesday, Harwell called for Rep. David Byrd, R-Waynesboro, to resign ahead of a WSMV story that aired at 6 p.m. featuring three women who accused the lawmaker of inappropriate sexual conduct decades ago while he was their high school basketball coach.

Byrd is the third Tennessee lawmaker to face allegations of sexual misdeeds in as many years.

The allegations date back to when Byrd served as head coach of the Wayne County High School women’s basketball team, the Lady Cats.

Out of more than a dozen former players who spoke with WSMV reporter Alanna Autler over the last three months, three reported unwanted sexual contact initiated by Byrd.

Two of the victims were 15 and one was 16 at the time they say their then-28-year-old coach sexually assaulted them.

Byrd, who graduated from the school in 1975 and coached there for 24 years, also spent eight years as the school’s principal.

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In a statement, Harwell's spokeswoman, Kara Owen, said "Speaker Harwell believes David Byrd should step down. The allegations are not related to the legislature."

Though Byrd has yet to release a statement addressing the allegations, a House Republican spokesman said Tuesday night that Byrd has no plans to resign.

Women allege inappropriate touching by former coach

One of the women, who said she was 15 when Byrd began sexually assaulting her in the mid-1980s, told WSMV that he touched her inappropriately over her clothes, kissed her multiple times on school property and once pulled her hands toward his genitals.

She recalled Byrd saying to her, "You owe me," and asking to see the teenager naked.

Last month, she called Byrd to talk about the assaults, secretly recording the call and sharing it with WSMV.

Though Byrd never specifies for what he is apologizing, he acknowledged he had done something wrong and that he regretted his actions.

"I wish I had a do-over, because I promise you I would have corrected that and that would’ve never happened," Byrd can be heard telling the woman during the phone call.

He told the woman he thinks about it "all the time," elaborating that it comes to mind when he takes communion each Sunday and asks forgiveness for his sins.

Another former player, then 16, described going into Byrd's hotel room during a team trip and him touching her inappropriately under her clothes as she lay on his bed.

A third woman, 15 at the time, recalled being alone in a hotel swimming pool with Byrd while on another out-of-town trip and him making a sexual advance toward her as he tried to touch her genital area.

According to WSMV, the three women graduated from Wayne County High School the same year.

Autler said besides the three women featured in the story, none of the other former players with whom WSMV spoke had any unwanted sexual contact with Byrd or knew of other players being victims.

When reached by phone Tuesday evening, Waynesboro Police Chief Walter Smith said he had not heard about the story and was surprised to learn of the allegations.

Smith, who has been chief of the department for just the last three years, said he was unaware of any reports made related to Byrd or of any investigation by police into misconduct while he was a coach.

Smith said the department wasn't immediately able to look through files to confirm that no investigation had occurred.

Representatives of the Wayne County School System didn't immediately respond to requests for comment by USA TODAY NETWORK - Tennessee.

Though it wasn't immediately clear what charges would have been applicable if the allegations had been reported, with the exception of crimes punishable by death, the longest statute of limitation period in Tennessee is 15 years for a Class A felony.

Autler said the three victims with whom WSMV spoke had only disclosed the sexual assaults to their families.

As of Tuesday, Byrd still signaling interest in re-election

The 60-year-old lawmaker — frequently referred to as “Coach” — first ran for office in 2014, when he narrowly defeated Rep. Vance Dennis, R-Savannah.

He was unopposed in the 2016 primary and general election. His district includes Hardin, Lewis and Wayne counties and portions of Lawrence County.

As of Tuesday, Byrd was the only person to create a campaign account to run for District 71 in the upcoming primary, signaling his interest in seeking re-election.

This year, Byrd has made headlines for sponsoring a bill that would allow a select number of teachers to carry guns on campuses across the state.

The women's claims against Byrd make him the third lawmaker in three years to face allegations of sexual misconduct.

In 2016, the House expelled Jeremy Durham after a Tennessean investigation prompted an attorney general report that found the Williamson County Republican had engaged in inappropriate sexual conduct with at least 22 women.

In 2017, Mark Lovell, a West Tennessee Republican, resigned after being accused of inappropriately touching a woman. A House committee found he violated the legislature’s sexual harassment policy.

It is not immediately clear if there will be an investigation into the allegations against Byrd.

In her statement, Harwell did not call for an investigation.

To combat sexual harassment, earlier this year House members were required to participate in an in-person training, while their Senate counterparts watched an online video.

Byrd is married, has two children, one grandchild and one great-grandchild, according to his legislative website.

He has a bachelor’s degree from Freed-Hardeman University and a master’s degree from Tennessee State University.