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Dr. Drew

High School Horrors; Fighting Cancer & Foreclosure

Aired September 24, 2012 - 21:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The allegations are deeply concerning and terribly sad.

DR. DREW PINSKY, HOST (voice-over): Boys just 14 and 15 years of age say a soccer coach looked the other way while they were horribly graphically abused.

A Texas teen was spanked so hard at school that it left her skin blistered and burned.

A 19-year-old boy was beaten so badly in the party that his jaw was broken. The attackers then stapled his mouth shut.

What`s going on at our kids` schools?

Also, a woman who has terminal cancer has been told she will be kicked out of her home the week before Christmas. Lots of you have to make the choice of paying for bills or paying for medical care. What would you do? What should she do?

Let`s get started.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

(MUSIC)

PINSKY: All right. First, we`re going to kick off the discussion of the latest school scandal. I`ve got attorney Brian Claypool with us, who represents three of the young boys who say they were assaulted in a way that was gruesome. You`re going to hear about it in a minute. Their soccer coach sort of winked and looked the other way, maybe knew more about this in the past.

We also have two of the young victims, 15-year-old John and 14-year- old Billy, who are here in disguise, so they don`t have to take any more ribbing or teasing or hazing at their school they`ve been through.

John, I`m going to start with you. Can you tell me exactly what happened to you?

"JOHN", 15 SAYS HE WAS ATTACKED AT SCHOOL: The day that -- like, they tried getting me, they sent me to take the balls in. Like the equipment we were using for that day in that class. And they sent me in the back. I told the coach I didn`t want to go, and he said, OK. And, like, he -- some kid from the room came and told me that -- told the coach that he need me in the back and the coach said OK and winked at him.

And he -- then the guy grabbed me and they pulled me in and they dropped me to the floor. And they were beating on me.

PINSKY: How many guys?

JOHN: Like around six or seven guys.

PINKSY: What were they trying to do to you?

JOHN: They were trying to get a pole up my butt.

PINSKY: Like a pool cue? What was this thing? To me -- I got to tell you, John, it`s almost hard -- I hear you say it. I have trouble getting my head around it.

Is this something they`d been doing for awhile?

JOHN: This has been going on for some time. So from what I heard.

PINSKY: Did they hurt you? Did they successfully do what they were trying to do? Did you fight them off?

JOHN: Well, like, I tried fighting them off and everything. But like they weren`t able to do it to me because, like, I ran out. But they did get to beat on me for --

PINSKY: What do you mean time ran out? Did somebody show up?

JOHN: It was towards the end of the class. So they, like -- it was time for us to go home. And they couldn`t get me.

PINSKY: I see.

And, Billy, did the similar thing happen to you?

BILLY, 14, SAYS HE WAS ABUSED AT SCHOOL: Yes. I was caught -- they told me to put stuff in the room. And they told me if I wanted it the easy way or the hard way, the varsity team. And in that moment my heart was, like, pounding, and, like, I kind of like blacked out.

And I told them -- I just remember telling them I want it the easy way. But when I was going to bend down, I try to run. But they got me back. And they picked me up and put the stick up my butt.

PINSKY: So, Billy -- so you just sort of capitulated to this and they did whatever they wanted to do with you.

BILLY: Like -- no, like -- like, I try to run to get out of this. But they got me and, like -- I couldn`t, like, get away from all of them. There was, like, 10 people.

PINSKY: Oh my God. So 10 people.

Brian, I can`t -- I`m going to go to you in a second to try to figure out. I`m in disbelief when you hear these kids say this.

Before we go to talk to their attorney, Brian Claypool, John, I notice you seem to be lowering your head. Are you OK?

JOHN: It`s just hard to hear that. My story was -- luckily I got away, but Billy like --

PINSKY: It`s upsetting.

JOHN: Yes.

PINSKY: And I understand that you actually, your whole life has been changed. You had to leave the school because of teasing and further hazing, is that right?

JOHN: Yes.

PINKSY: So, Brian, here we go. So I`m in disbelief. I don`t know what to do with this.

BRIAN CLAYPOOL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: To me, Dr. Drew, this is almost worse than the Jerry Sandusky scandal. I`m not minimizing that at all.

But here`s the difference -- we have a teacher in a school who is also a soccer coach, who in my opinion, based on my opinion based on the evidence I`ve developed, is actually encouraging and facilitating these other boys to attack boys like John.

PINSKY: So, again, trying -- when you hear the story the first time, you can`t get your head around it. Trying to understand it rationally that these kids think they were going through some sort of hazing procedure. The varsity did it to the younger kids or something. And this was ritualized by the coaches or the kids themselves.

Do we know?

CLAYPOOL: I think that`s one explanation. We`re trying to put the pieces of the puzzles together. But I think one explanation is, that that -- there was a hazing ritual going on at the school.

PINSKY: For a long time.

CLAYPOOL: Yes, from what the kids tell you, at least a few years this has been going on.

PINSKY: So there must be other victims out there as well.

CLAYPOOL: Clearly, there are other victims out there. These kids are brave for coming in here. Hat`s off to them for telling their stories. Maybe it will inspire others who have been victimized.

PINSKY: This is what`s killing me is well sent our kids to school. We think it`s not going to happen to our kids. And here -- I`ve met these young men face to face. They`re lovely kids. You would never imagine -- it would never occur to you this is a kid it would happen to.

And to be fair -- these are good school districts. A good, loving -- I mean, It`s not where this is -- I`m not sure you could say there`s anywhere it`s supposed to happen. But certainly you would think, oh, not our kids, not here.

CLAYPOOL: Right. The last place in the world you think this is going to happen is where you drop your kids off in the morning to go to school. School is supposed to be a sanctified place to protect your kids.

Here -- this teacher has been on a rampage for years. I think he probably brainwashed these kids to do it. I have a different view of it. I think when there`s smoke, there`s fire. And a lot of what we do in our business is a lot like your business. We determine things on instinct.

You got to go with your instinct. My gut`s telling me you`re going to find more dirt on this teacher, as time goes on.

PINSKY: So, as their attorney, is that what you`re going after? Or how do you --

CLAYPOOL: Absolutely. We plan on prosecuted a civil case for these kids and their parents.

PINSKY: Against the kids that are perpetrator to this? Or the teachers or the school district?

CLAYPOOL: No, against the school district, OK? The ultimate people here who are responsible is the district and the officials at the school for not monitoring this teacher, who by the way has been at the school for 12 years.

PINSKY: OK. We have to take a break. We`ve actually reached out to the school for comment, and so far, no comment has been forthcoming.

And later, we`re going to hear from a Michigan student. This whole thing -- it`s very disturbing to me, this whole thing. There he is, who was beaten and apparently unconscious and they broke his jaw. And they woke up, his mouth was stapled shut by the kids that were abusing him.

I`m not sure that was a hazing episode. But the amount of child on child abuse is staggering.

And a girl who says she was spanked by, this was done by the school, by a teacher at the school, spank so badly, she blistered.

Call us 855-DRDREW5. More after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

BARBARA NAKAOKA, LA PUENTE UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT SUPERINTENDENT: The allegations of student hazing involving members of the La Puente high school soccer team were recently brought to the district`s attention. Four students have been arrested on criminal charges.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It is a child assault and we`re going to leave it at that.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

PINSKY: Now, reportedly, there were four boys at a local high school who were hazed in a matter that can only be classified as sexual abuse by older soccer players of the varsity team. They claim the soccer coach knew, perhaps other coaches knew, but no one took action.

We`re trying to sort this out.

Joining me now is Jaqueline Hurtado, a CNN Espanol reporter, who`s been covering this story.

Jackie, you`ve been with the parents of these kids, right?

JAQUELINE HURTADO, REPORTER, CNN ESPANOL: Yes, I spoke to them this morning.

PINSKY: What are they thinking? How are they taking this?

HURTADO: Well, I know many of these parents are upset. They`re furious. They`re mad because the school district allegedly didn`t inform them until last week.

So, they were saying, how was this going on for so long? Again, no one had said anything. I know one parent said he got a voice mail on his answering machine at home. That he personally didn`t get a call from the principal.

PINSKY: I want to go back to John and Billy.

And, John, had you guys been keeping this secret for a long time?

JOHN: Me, I had been keeping it for some time. I didn`t want to tell my mom or anything because then I felt that she wouldn`t let me play soccer no more. Because she`s, like, really overprotective with me.

PINSKY: Is that Billy?

BILLY: For me, I think I`d been keeping a secret too. Because I thought -- I think it happened to them too, they were victims as well.

PINSKY: So you think these kids, they`re just sort of passing it down from class to class.

BILLY: Yes.

PINSKY: And, John, were you afraid that you`d be a victim of further hazing or abuse if you were to speak up about this? And has that in fact happened?

JOHN: Well, when they weren`t able to get me the first time, they told me that they were going to get me next time even harder. So I got real scared for that.

PINSKY: Are you OK now or do you have nightmares? Do you have flashbacks, that kind of thing?

JOHN: I think it`s getting worse right now because it came out on the news and people are making fun of me and everything.

PINSKY: It`s awful. I mean, poor, John. I feel bad for John particularly he seems effected by this. He`s had to change schools. This is -- I mean, just the act itself is traumatic enough. It trickles throughout this kid`s life and the community.

I understand, though, some of the parents -- I talked to a mom back in our greenroom who said, though, it`s not universally that some people are being aggressive towards the parents as well.

HURTADO: Yes. And I talked to them. They blame the parents for not finding out what`s going on on this soccer team.

PINSKY: I mean, they should have known before?

HURTADO: They should have known before.

PINSKY: Brian, you`re shaking your head.

CLAYPOOL: It reminds me of the Miramonte case. When the Miramonte child abuse scandal came down, the M.O. for the district and the parents there were --

PINSKY: Remind people what that was. The teacher was --

CLAYPOOL: February of this year, Mark Burn, a teacher at Miramonte school abused -- he`s been indicted on 23 counts of abusing kids, we think there`s a lot more. And we represent 12 children and 21 parents in that case.

I tell you the same thing was happening there. Parents were saying to parents of the victims -- how do you not know that your child is getting abused? Aren`t you talking to your child when they come home?

PINSKY: Oh my gosh!

CLAYPOOL: Culture, I mean, you can speak to this issue.

PINSKY: Listen, any parent is -- kids feel ashamed and responsibility for what happens. John, I want you to listen to this, because you`re not responsible for this. They feel ashamed, they feel responsible and they are afraid to tell their parents for many reasons.

But there`s also the issue in the Hispanic community, though, that they revere the teachers and coaches.

HURTADO: Yes, they respect them. One mother was saying, I send my kids here to learn from people who have degrees to be better people, and to pursue higher education. And this is happening. I know one parent had also mentioned that this is a unique case especially because these are teenagers. Teenagers tend to hide a little bit more things than a little kid.

And so, they`re embarrassed just telling their own parents this is what happened. Not only because they`re going to make fun of them, but they said because they`re adults. They want to feel like in control of the situation.

PINSKY: Let`s take a quick call. Cynthia in Nevada -- Cynthia, you got something for us?

CYNTHIA, CALLER FROM NEVADA: Yes. Hi, Dr. Drew.

I mean, this really makes my heart sad because I think that the school and the colleges and all the officials should be held accountable for this. Because first of all, these young men are getting into adulthood. They really don`t even -- they don`t realize where they`re going right now.

And then you send them to school and they`re totally confused about changing over. Their body is changing. They`re going through puberty.

PINSKY: Yes, there`s enough, right. Your point is well taken. There`s enough just dealing with being an adolescent.

And, by the way, this is something we say all the time. Big people take care of little people. This is a story we`re trying to tell her today is what is going on in our schools, the big people abuse and allow these horrible things to happen rather than create a safe environment.

And big people, adults are the people they respect and get them into adulthood rather than harm them when they`re still children.

CLAYPOOL: I just wanted to validate, Cynthia. Great point. Because we can no longer accept this, as I call it, Jerry Sandusky`s wife`s defense, which is, hey, know all you kids came over to our house, they`re in the basement. But I don`t know what happened in the basement. I didn`t hear anything. I didn`t see anything. So, nothing`s wrong.

You can`t --

(CROSSTALK)

PINSKY: -- our head`s in the sand. There have been a lot of horror stories that pertain to same kinds of issues.

Later, a girl who says she was spanked so badly at school that she was then rendered blistered and bloody. And another student, he says he was beaten, jaw broken, awakened and he`s unconscious, I guess. When he awakened, his mouth was stapled shut at a party. Call us 855-DRDREW.

Got a new show airing on HLN. It`s called "Making it in America." Vinnie Politan takes a look at our quest for better -- a better job, better education, a better life. The show is at 4:00 p.m. Eastern. It`s going to be a great show. It`s going to be here on HLN, Vinnie Politan "Making It in America."

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: All right. We`re talking about abuse in schools. We`re specifically focusing on a case in the Los Angeles area where there was a hazing episode that just is mindboggling.

Joining us to discuss this, clinical psychologist, Michelle Golland.

And, Michelle, before I go to you, I want to go back to our boys.

John, during the commercial break, I was watching your body language. You seemed very affected by all this. Are you OK?

JOHN: I`m just, like, really -- I just don`t even want to go to school anymore. They`re just making fun of me and everything.

PINSKY: All right. So, hold on.

Michelle Golland, psychologist, let`s talk about this.

MICHELLE GOLLAND, PH.D, CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST: Dr. Drew, it`s so important that we clarify semantically what is going on. This is not hazing. This is sexual abuse. This is sexual assault. So we`re going to start there.

These boys were sexually assault by other boys at the direction of an adult. I would call what happened to them --

PINSKY: I have to stop you. We have to say it`s allegedly so.

GOLLAND: Oh, sorry, allegedly.

PINSKY: Go ahead with your opinion.

GOLLAND: Allegedly, but what it appears to me given everything is that they were groomed. These older did soccer --

PINSKY: The soccer older boys groomed to be perpetrators.

GOLLAND: -- to be perpetrators by the coach. My belief is that the coach, allegedly. I believe, will probably be found out to himself in some way be involved in something sexual with young boys. And I`m curious to see what comes out. I`m wondering if there`s any footage of this.

We know what child sexual predators do, Drew. They watch it, they sell it, they use it, OK/

And so I would not be at all surprised if at some point that this is going to be far bigger. And the thing that is so disturbing and frightening is having met these two young boys, their struggle and I know they`re going to be receiving counseling -- they are in trauma.

PINSKY: Yes. It`s post-traumatic stress. Yes.

GOLLAND: Absolutely. And they are showing signs of depression and anxiety.

PINSKY: I met the mom. She is stricken. Everybody`s affected by it.

GOLLAND: Absolutely. It is horrifying.

CLAYPOOL: I`m affected, too.

GOLLAND: Of course. We all are, as parents.

I mean, this is the thing -- Drew, we see this on television. We see kids that kill themselves, OK? And then we wonder when we have a situation like this where and parents have no power, we have to change something. We have to change something.

PINSKY: That`s what we`re trying to raise awareness about.

Let`s take some calls. See what people are thinking out there.

Robert in Pennsylvania -- Robert.

ROBERT, CALLER FROM PENNSYLVANIA: Hi, Dr. Drew. I speak from the experience of being bullied though not to the extent of this young man. But back then, I was unaware of the sheer horror of it. I just figured it was just a juvenile right of past. I didn`t realize essentially it was akin to terrorism.

And when did these experts come to the reasoning -- no offense, Ms. Golland -- that bullying is not a simple right of passage but a terrorism of the sorts. I may civil to say.

GOLLAND: It actually is. It is. It`s terrorism on the playground.

I think we need to be very clear what happened to these two boys -- we don`t put it in the bullying category. This is sexual assault. OK? This is a sexual assault.

And the teacher, if it was --

CLAYPOOL: Well, these kids couldn`t do it alone. I was telling Dr. Drew during a break.

(CROSSTALK)

CLAYPOOL: They couldn`t do it without some adult facilitating this.

GOLLAND: Absolutely. And the fact of the matter is if these boys who perpetrated allegedly this are not already -- if the police have not been called and the school hasn`t utilized the police, this is the other thing that does not happen.

PINSKY: They need to be reported. And the social service --

GOLLAND: You need to call -- the police can be called. And I have directed families to do that.

PINSKY: Is it possible some of the older boys were part of the grooming procedure? Were there -- or maybe a couple of classes back or something? You`re going to have to investigate all this, right?

CLAYPOOL: Yes. There is law enforcement investigation. But I don`t think that`s the answer. I think what you`re going to find is what she said. Once you dig deeper, you`re going to find a pattern of this teacher grooming and there`s going to be more victims coming forward.

GOLLAND: The grooming is perpetrating.

PINSKY: Got to take a break. More with us, 855-DRDREW5, call us. We`ll talk after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: OK. I`ve elected to extend this conversation a bit further with these boys from a local high school here in the southern California area. John and Billy went through an experience that`s traumatic. Michelle spelled it out as sexual abuse.

And, gentlemen, thank you for bringing this to light. You guys are heroes for stepping up. This -- you will be fine, I promise you. This is something that will pass and be a chapter in your life that will not affect you the way it is now.

And I think , John, you`re the one that`s so deeply affected right now. I know you`re going to be getting help for this.

Michelle, maybe you want to address them specifically. Michelle`s our psychologist here.

GOLLAND: You know, I think what you have done is so brave -- and so many kids, I am sure, have experienced what you have gone through. Maybe even really at the school. And the fact that you`re speaking out and taking the action that is required is a scary road, but you`re not alone. And I really implore parents of any of the schools that these boys end up at to be aware and sensitive.

And we should be pulling the wagons around these families and these children.

PINSKY: And, gentlemen, the people that try to go alone and quiet and they`re shamed and don`t tell anybody, those are the people who have long- term consequences from these kinds of experience. Jacqueline, you told me that they were fearful. You`ve spent time with the parents in the community. They`re fearful that the women`s soccer may be affected as well.

HURTADO: Yes. Some parents have concern if their daughters were affected and they just haven`t said anything. One mom says she`s asked her and her daughter said no. That she knew about what was going on with the boy`s soccer team, but --

PINSKY: She knew about it?

HURTADO: She knew about it.

PINSKY: These kids knew about it.

GOLLAND: This is the thing. The fact that -- I don`t know if anybody here in L.A. UST (ph) you realized that there was a huge donation of $100,000 by Sumner (ph) who is Viacom`s CEO. OK. He donated $100,000 to create a tip line, a confidential texting and line for kids, and this is the situation. They`re afraid.

I bet there were many, many, many kids at that school that knew what was going on and they were afraid to speak. And we don`t have systems yet set up which need to be to deal with that.

PINSKY: Billy, let me go to you and ask how do you think this went on so long? What did these kids think they were doing? In other words, how did they defend their behavior or justify it?

"BILLY," 14, SAYS HE WAS ABUSED AT SCHOOL: Like, I think they were doing it, like, as a game. But what they don`t realize is they were hurting other people like us. And I just want to tell everybody out there, like, to step up and not to be scared, because I`m doing this because I have a little brother, and he might go to that school. And I don`t want it to happen to him.

GOLLAND: OK. You know what? It is so important that people are listening to these kids. And this is about speaking out, except we need to develop systems for kids that know.

PINSKY: Brian, we got to get these kids right away. I mean, Michelle will work with them after the show.

GOLLAND: Yes, for sure.

PINSKY: Do we have any calls out there right now? I don`t have any names up -- Rosalie, where`s Rosalie from? Rosalie.

ROSALIE, OHIO: Yes?

PINSKY: Hi there. Ohio, what`s going on there?

ROSALIE: I agree that they are very brave, because a lot of children -- as a teenager, I was attacked. And I did not want to go forth, but when I did, I felt a lot better. And you don`t want to tell your parents because you feel ashamed, but there`s nothing to be ashamed. And I really applaud these young boys that did.

PINSKY: Yes.

ROSALIE: And I really feel that this coach needs to be locked up for the rest of his life, never see daylight again.

PINSKY: Billy, what do you want to tell people out there?

"BILLY": Just be behave, because I`m doing this for my little brother, because he might go to that school in the few years and my little cousin, too. I don`t want that to happen to him.

PINSKY: I think we can promise you, Billy, it`s not going to happen to him. It`s not going to happen. John, are you OK?

"JOHN," 15, SAYS HE WAS ATTACKED AT SCHOOL: It`s just hard to hear, because I have always wanted a little brother. And from what I`m hearing this is like I consider this kid, like, to be my little brother. And --

PINSKY: Billy`s your little brother, you want to protect him from this, yes. Yes. I mean, my heart is in my throat listening to you guys. It`s -- I`m glad Brian is here. I`m glad your -- I`m glad your parents, Billy and John, had the wherewithal to look for somebody like Brian to make sure this doesn`t happen again. And Brian, we`re looking to you, man. This is -- you`re the cavalry here --

BRIAN CLAYPOOL, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, thank you for that comment. Make no mistake about it. We will uncover every stone and get to the bottom of this, because we`ve got to start making change for these kids.

PINSKY: Yes. CLAYPOOL: You can`t make excuses anymore if you`re running a school. These kids -- the ultimate betrayal of trust that these kids are experiencing and they`ve got to deal with it for the rest of their lives. So, on behalf of these kids and kids across the country, we`re going to keep fighting. And I`m not going to sleep until we stop this from happening.

PINSKY: OK. More. Stay with us. 855-DrDrew5, call in, and participate. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: All right. I told you earlier about a Michigan teen who had had his mouth stapled shut at a party and Texas girl who was severely spanked at a school. But, listen, we are running out of time. We are going to stay with Billy and John for right now.

I want to read you a quick tweet. This is from Jane Doe (ph) or @saidJane2012, "Watching now Dr. Drew. Unbelievable." With a little sad frowny sign following, and that`s how I feel with my hear and my throat talking to these young boys.

John, let me ask you this. Do you think this was organized by the coach? You think he knew about it?

"JOHN": Yes. Before this had happened to me, I had seen him send other kids to the back, but I didn`t want to believe it. I just thought he would be sending them back, like -- and the kids would come out like hurting. And it`s obvious that he did know, because it`s -- his seat is right next to the room that it happened.

And I`m pretty sure he could hear us screaming and kicking in there. And he`s just right next to it. It`s not possible he cannot know about it.

PINSKY: John, is this coach somebody you respected and loved in a certain way? Or is he someone that you didn`t have that close relationship with?

"JOHN": I respected him until it had happened to me. And I just lost all my respect towards him.

PINSKY: How long ago did it actually happen?

"JOHN": To me, it happened a few months ago towards the end of last school year.

PINSKY: And Billy, how about you?

"BILLY": Yes. The same like at the end of the school year --

PINSKY: Is that when the rituals tend to occur at the end of the year?

"BILLY": Yes, because during the season not really, but after season or before season is when they would do those traditions.

PINSKY: Michelle`s busting out. What?

GOLLAND: I mean, how are we sitting here and this teacher is not arrested? Under just -- allegedly.

PINSKY: Brian?

CLAYPOOL: He hasn`t been arrested, but he`s been suspended with pay and he`s being investigated.

GOLLAND: OK. OK. The fact -- that is not the police. We are sitting here hearing a witness to child abuse, an adult allowing allegedly children to abuse other children. How are we not -- I don`t understand.

PINSKY: I`m with you. I`m with you. And again, thank God, like I said, Brian is the cavalry. I trust him to take care of that. Right now, though, my concern are these two boys we`ve got. What I`m going to do is send Michelle to talk to you guys as soon as we finish up here. How are you feeling right now? Are you OK?

"BILLY": I`m feeling kind of better, like, I`m still confused.

PINSKY: Yes. You`re both everybody`s little brother, really. We all want to protect you and hug you. I`m sorry -- I`m glad you`re not sort of having -- your identity is being protected, but we all want to come in there and just hold you and make this OK.

GOLLAND: Absolutely. You know, as you know, Dr. Drew, we had our own situation of bullying with our son. And it taught me how -- where the system is really broken, because the fact that a psychologist and a lawyer could not get --

PINSKY: You mean your husband.

GOLLAND: Myself and my husband, founding parents of a charter school could not get action on issues like --

PINSKY: Brian --

CLAYPOOL: Real quick, you asked Billy whether he looks up to this coach. I was in the home of a fourth victim today. The father walked me in the back room. He showed me 25 trophies of his boys winning awards, soccer, all soccer trophies. These kids have aspired to excel in soccer. They look up to that coach almost like a god.

PINSKY: Is that fit, Jacqueline --

HURTADO: Yes. In the Hispanic culture, we`re big into football.

(LAUGHTER)

PINSKY: No, I understand, but I mean, this particular coach has -- was somebody that was an important figure to these kids.

HURTADO: Yes.

PINSKY: Very much like Mr. --

GOLLAND: But Dr. Drew, I think part of the problem is is that we define it. We`re calling it school hazing.

PINSKY: No, I know.

GOLLAND: This is a sexual predator.

PINSKY: I get you. And I think Brian is going to pick that crucible and carry it. Fran in California -- Fran.

FRAN, CALIFORNIA: Yes, hello. I speak as a teacher and a parent. And this abuse is not bullying. That`s euphemism.

PINSKY: Yes.

FRAN: And it is rampant. My children were forced to jump off the school roof. And the way that the coaches did it was to use peer pressure and intimidation. Telling them that if they didn`t do it, their friends would make fun of them. Finally, a classmate told me because my girls were terrified.

PINSKY: Fran, it`s such a catch 22, because they are abused by their peers if they don`t do it. They are. Then if they do it, they`re in harm`s way and humiliated and feel horrible. I mean, --

GOLLAND: Well, and again, everything we keep hearing in the story is that these kids knew but no one told. These kids knew. So, that`s what we`re not doing as system within the school administration is getting a place where these kids can confidentially report it.

PINSKY: Yes. And not feel ashamed and bad about it. Marvelle, next caller. Marvelle, where are you calling from? New York. What`s up, Marvelle?

MARVELLE, NEW YORK: Hi, Dr. Drew.

PINSKY: Marvelle.

MARVELLE: I`m so glad to hear somebody talk about this on TV like this, because I am going through the same situation except for an elementary school.

PINSKY: Wow!

MARVELLE: When you come against that, they come against you. They retaliate against you by having you arrested randomly.

PINSKY: What?

MARVELLE: So, this is -- yes. I was arrested after reporting them to CPS for abuse.

PINSKY: Hold on a second. Is this the kind of thing that these are parents having to put up with at this school, too?

HURTADO: Well, some parents mentioned to us today during the press conference that they would go to the school and they would have a police officer there to try to scare them, and that they would try to go into the office to try to talk to them, and you know, it would scare them away.

And then, when they would try to go to city hall meetings or to talk to representatives from the city, they got the same treatment.

GOLLAND: Absolutely, and we did as well.

PINSKY: OK. So, there`s intimidation -- Brian.

CLAYPOOL: Right. Yes, I mean, what Johnny`s mom actually told one of the assistant principal at the school, she was so outraged. She was I`m going to tell the media about this. You know what that assistant principal told her? He said you do that. You might end up going to jail.

GOLLAND: Intimidation, silencing. I was told if I spoke to another staff member at our charter school, I would not be allowed on campus, Dr. Drew. I was the cheer coach. This is the insanity that goes on.

PINSKY: Yes. This is - clearly, we`ve stumbled on to something here that is a problem. We will continue to address. John and Billy, I want to thank you, gentlemen, for being heroes today and raising this conversation to a level that I hope will help other little brothers out there, other sisters, other of our children so they needn`t go through anything of this sort.

And you guys are going to be fine. We`re going to make sure of it. And Brian has committed himself to making sure this doesn`t happen to anybody else.

Next up, another tough subject. Medical bills or your mortgage, which would you pay if you had to choose? Stay with us.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: Just on a personal note, I just want to say that that last story, it caught me off guard. I`m still kind of off balance. It was so stunning what happened to those poor boys. I didn`t know I was going to hear that particular story. And one thing I want to remind everybody is that in addition to being horrifying and terrorizing and many other adjectives we could apply to it, people could die from that particular kind of procedure.

I mean, people could die of this. They could have killed one another. And the one boy, Johnny, clearly felt his life was in danger and was fighting for his life. That`s horrible, horrible trauma even if you`re able to get away from it. I`m still, I`m off balance from that. We`ll have to follow that story.

All right. We`re going to go now to a story about Cindi Davis. She has stage four breast cancer, but Wells Fargo Bank is moving forward with foreclosure on her home. She and her husband, Kirk, expect to be evicted the week before Christmas.

Kirk, I`m going to start with you. Cindi`s monthly medication actually costs more than your mortgage, as I understand. So, please give me a rundown of this financial situation.

KIRK DAVIS, WIFE HAS TERMINAL BREAST CANCER: It comes down to, do I use the money to purchase medication that she`s needing every month or do I make a mortgage payment? I make the mortgage payment, I have a home.

I have no power, no water, no medications, no food, or I work on the medications and I can get some of the other things kind of fall into place. My choice was obvious, the medications. That`s going to save her life.

PINSKY: Are you working with the bank? Are you working with the drug company to get compassion that use (ph) medication? Are people bending on your behalf or is just nowhere to go?

KIRK DAVIS: We have folks who are bending. The bank is not one of them. But, the doctor is on a compassionate care for a new medication. And we`re hoping in the next two to four weeks to have that in place. We`ve been working on that for about six months now. As far as Wells Fargo, no. There`s -- I follow the guidelines and everything they tell me and then it changes. And it`s from month to month.

PINSKY: My understanding is you had to get six months behind before they would talk to you about making arrangements on changing your payment plan. And then once you did that, then they wanted a lump sum up front, is that what happened?

KIRK DAVIS: Yes, sir. We started out -- go ahead.

PINSKY: I think I need to read a statement from Wells Fargo regarding the Davis` situation. Quote, "We`ve been working with them since 2008 and since that time have offered multiple modifications and other workout options. The tentative foreclosure sale date has been suspended until after the start of the New Year to allow us more time to work with Mr. and Mrs. Davis."

So Cindi, I guess they`re going to give you until the New Year. Is that going to change much?

CINDI DAVIS, HAS TERMINAL BREAST CANCER: No, sir, it`s not. The bills don`t change. They`re always the same. The thousand dollars-plus per month, that`s just my daily prescription medications. That doesn`t include my trips to have chemo done or if I have an allergic reaction and I end up in the emergency room or something like that.

PINSKY: It`s just so sad we`re having to hear stories like this. Let me take a quick call from Kate in New Mexico -- Kate.

KATE, NEW MEXICO: Hi. Hey, Cindi, love you. My comment is about Wells Fargo and the lump sum. If they would work with people and take a lower payment, $200, 150 just to say they`re paying something instead of demanding a huge lump sum at one time, they would be able to work with them.

But that`s not an offer they`re willing to make. And if they would just do that to more people, so many people have lost their homes and we`ve heard from them.

PINSKY: And Cindi -- yes, it`s just an awful story. And I think it`s a story that we all know too well and other people have been through. Cindi -- well, we got to take a break. I want to get with Cindi`s after this break. More of your calls, 855-373-7395. Be right back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

PINSKY: I have to say this show tonight has really affected me emotionally. I think the feeling I`m having is helplessness. I mean, the poor boys that were affected by that let`s called a hazing incident. Now, we`ve got Kirk who`s out of a job, Cindi with stage four breast cancer, the bank that`s bearing down on them.

The economic times are with us. Our medical system is broken. This is the world we`re living in, and it makes me feel helpless. Cathy in Texas, how you feeling?

CATHY, TEXAS: Number one, Cindi, I`m so sorry. Two, you need to a get a lawyer, disability lawyer, get yourself Social Security disability immediately. It will go back, also get the lawyer to work with the bank, get them to force stall. Work with the doctors and tell them that the disability should be coming in.

PINSKY: let me -- let`s ask them if they`ve done that -- let`s ask them if they`ve done anything like that. Have you, guys, done anything on that sort?

CINDI DAVIS: Yes. I do get Social Security disability. I don`t qualify for Medicaid. I do have insurance through where I work here in the state of North Carolina, disability insurance and medical insurance. But each time I go to the doctors, it`s $81 just for a basic co-pay.

PINSKY: Now, will they waive that co-pay fee? Have you asked them to do that?

CINDI DAVIS: My oncologist is allowing us to pay $20 a month instead of the $81.

PINSKY: Good.

CINDI DAVIS: We worked that out.

PINSKY: OK, good.

CINDI DAVIS: But the hospital -- I was back in the hospital a couple months ago. We thought I was having a heart attack, and --

PINSKY: But Cindi, I`ll tell you something, the one thing I know with the medical system, we try to work with people. It`s been my experience as a physician. You know, if somebody has -- I waive co-pays all the time, and I`m sure many of my peers do. You know, you appeal to the hospital about what`s going on here.

I would think they, I would hope -- and by the way (INAUDIBLE) have a physician advocate. You know, a primary care person who can really help navigate this with you. Laurie in Florida -- Laurie. Laurie. Let`s go on to Dianna, Dianna -- there you are. What`s going on?

DIANNA, WASHINGTON, D.C.: Nothing. I`m just -- thank you, Dr. Drew. I guess I`m very happy that this affordable health care act has passed. And the reason being is because this lady here should not be -- should not have to make that grave a decision between her health and having a roof over her head.

I`m really disappointed with the banks, because they`re really in it for the money. And when you ask for help with them, it`s either, you know, they`re giving you a lot of options. They say they`re giving you a lot of options. And when you`re signing on the dotted line, you`re actually signing your health back over to them.

And I think it`s very, very unjust and it`s very unfair. I hope this health care act gets put in place soon.

PINSKY: Well, more than I hope it`s put in place, I hope it actually does what it`s supposed to do, because I`ll tell you, our system is broken. And I`ve been practicing medicine for decades and I`ve seen a lot of attempts to fix it. And, I`m not sure where -- I don`t know. I don`t know what the answer is.

Kirk, Cindi, thank you for sharing your story. The one message, I think, we all get from tonight is that there`s no shame in reaching out, asking for help, talking about your problems, and people will generally rally. I think we`ve heard from a lot callers tonight. People are on your side, my guys.

Thank you for watching. I`ll see you next time.

END