Tenn. DA: Gay couples shouldn't get domestic violence protection

NASHVILLE — A Tennessee district attorney is facing calls for an investigation after saying gay people shouldn’t receive domestic violence protections.

Lawyers from across the state say they want the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility to investigate Coffee County District Attorney Craig Northcott.

Northcott was recorded at a Bible conference last year saying he didn’t believe in gay marriage and promised that same-sex partners wouldn’t receive protections from domestic violence laws.

Northcott said such statutes are designed to “protect the sanctity of marriage.”

Nashville attorneys Sunny Eaton and Kevin Teets, both of whom are openly gay, say Northcott doesn’t have the “moral authority or ethical judgment” expected of a licensed attorney.

Northcott didn’t immediately return a message left at his office.

Previously, Northcott described Islam as “evil” in a Facebook post.