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Darren Wilson Turns In Resignation Letter; Who Will Replace Chuck Hagel?; Ohio State Football Player Kosta Karageorge Missing Since Wednesday; Pope Francis Returns From Turkey Visit; Another Cosby Accuser Comes Forward; UVA Pledges "Zero Tolerance" In Rape Cases; Outrage After GOP Aide Scolds Obama Girls Online

Aired November 30, 2014 - 14:00   ET

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


FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Moving on. That's what the city of Ferguson says they're doing after officer Darren Wilson cuts all ties with the police force. The mayor of the Missouri city weighs in on Wilson's resignation next.

And it was the busiest travel day of the year. But something unusual and unexpected is happening.

Plus, calls of fire, a GOP staffer growing louder after she goes after the first daughters for these outfits. What she said that has everyone outraged.

Hello, everyone. I'm Fredericka Whitfield.

The mayor of Ferguson, Missouri, officially announcing the city has severed all ties with Darren Wilson, effective immediately. Darren Wilson turned in his resignation letter yesterday saying quote "it is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal." This comes after a grand jury decided not to indict the officer in the killing of teenager Michael Brown.

CNN's Ed Lavandera is in Ferguson today.

So Ed, the city's mayor held a news conference just a short time ago. What more did he say about the resignation and how the city will now heal?

ED LAVANDERA, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: You know, it was interesting. There was some back and forth with the mayor about just how they received that letter. The mayor went out of his way to point out that they did not receive that resignation letter last night until several hours after it had already been made public in news reports. Some frustration there from the mayor.

But as you mentioned, they say the city will not be paying out any kind of severance package to officer Darren Wilson and essentially those ties have been cut immediately. And then also the other person who has been under quite a bit of criticism is the police chief. And the police chief was asked if he had any plans to resign. The chief says he has no plans to resign.

And then the mayor really talked about wanting to move forward. Talking about various programs that will be put into place, efforts to recruit more African-American police officers to the police force. And also outreach between the police department and the African- American community here in Ferguson especially young people. Listen a little about what the mayor had to say a little while ago.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

MAYOR JAMES KNOWLES, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: I think its best that at this point we continue to move on as a community. Officer Wilson and his family have moved on, and at this point the city of Ferguson is looking to, you know, again, talk about how we can begin this community together.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

LAVANDERA: And Fredericka, the good news is over the last couple of nights those protests have really been scaled back. Only two arrests last night. So things seem to be improving and moving in a much better direction.

Let me set you a scene a little bit from where we are right now. This is the back of the flood Christian church. This is where Michael Brown Sr. went to church. The night of the arrest, last Monday night, authorities say this building was -- this church was deliberately set on fire. What officials here at the church say that they suspect that it might have been a retaliation because it was Michael Brown Sr.'s church. We don't know if that's the case.

But ATF, FBI, and an arson task force here in the St. Louis area is investigating. The church can't be used today. They're holding services right now. You can you probably hear them singing in the parking lot of the church where they've been holding their church services. That's where they're holding church service here this afternoon. That building they can't use, so they're doing it here in the parking lot.

But ATF and FBI and arson investigators say they're looking into why and how this fire was set, and that's one of the things that they'll be doing in the coming weeks.

WHITFIELD: All right. Ed Lavandera, thank you so much from Ferguson. Appreciate that as church service carries on this Sunday.

All right, U.S. attorney general Eric Holder heads to Atlanta tomorrow for the first of a series of meetings about the relationships between police and minority communities. President Obama announced the meetings after the grand jury decision in Ferguson. Holder plans to visit about five different cities across the country but hasn't specified which cities will be included beyond Atlanta. The president said he wants the meetings to focus on building trust.

Ohio State University senior Kosta Karageorge was supposed to play his final football game at Ohio stadium yesterday, but he wasn't there for the big rivalry matchup against Michigan. The 22-year-old with a history of concussions hasn't been seen since Wednesday when he left his apartment in Columbus. Rosa Flores is following the story for us.

So Rosa, what is the latest? And his family must be worried sick.

ROSA FLORES, CNN CORRESPONDENT: I know Fred. You know, police telling CNN today that this is still a missing person's case. And that police are following all leads, quite frankly, but imagine the agony for this family, for the mother whose last communication with her son was a text message that she received at about 1:30 a.m. on Wednesday.

Now, I want to read that to you because it says "I'm sorry if I'm an embarrassment, but these concussions have my head all (bleep) up." Now, Karageorge's mother tells police in a missing person's report that her son has suffered several concussions and confusion spells.

Now, here's what we know about the events surrounding his disappearance. All again, according to this missing persons report. Now, Karageorge's family allows the police into his apartment, and they notice a few things. So his motorcycle is left at the apartment. He doesn't own a car. All three of his jackets are there as well as his book bag, and nothing inside the apartment seems disturbed.

Now, his roommate also tells the police that he heard someone leave the place at about 2:00 a.m. Now, we should also point out that Karageorge's sister tells cleveland.com that his cell phone was last pinged at about 2:30 a.m., again, on Wednesday. And then, Fred, that's it. He didn't show up for football practice. Family and friends started looking for him, and they're still looking for him today -- Fred.

WHITFIELD: And then, Rosa, tell us more about these concussions. The mother saying that, you know, he is known to have quite a few. Explain his medical situation or what has been done about these concussions?

FLORES: Yes, imagine this worried mother. Well, we checked the school's online bio, and you can tell from reading the bio that he has been a student athlete for a really long time. He won 35 wrestler matches as a senior. He is a senior now. He joined the football team in August.

Now, his mother telling the police about these concussions in the missing persons report about his confusion spells, but she doesn't expand a lot into these concussions or confusion spells.

However, we do have a statement from the team physician, and he doesn't comment about his particular case. But he does say this, and I want to read that to you. He says, we are confident in our medical procedures and policies to return athletes to participation following injury or illness.

So Fred, again, the search continues. This family very worried. And we're hoping that they can find him soon.

WHITFIELD: Absolutely. All right. Thank you so were, Rosa Flores. Appreciate that.

FLORES: You're welcome.

WHITFIELD: All right. Indeed, it is one of the busiest travel days of the year. Families across the country are now heading back home after the thanksgiving holiday weekend. Flight tracking Web site flight aware puts together this sort of misery map showing the worst spots for delays and cancelations. Well, it doesn't look so good in the west particularly in Denver there. But the east coast, well look pretty good so far.

Erin McPike is live for us at Reagan national airport, just outside of Washington D.C. And so, it looks, I don't know, kind of scant behind you and a whole lot of people.

ERIN MCPIKE, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Fredericka, it does. And in fact, I was here on Wednesday and it looks pretty good on Wednesday too. But what I have learned is that there are a lot of new systems in place that are moving travelers through a lot quicker.

As you mentioned, the flight delays are the worst in Denver. That's where the bulk of it is. Also, in L.A. there are some delays. There is some weather coming in from the west that's making the delays happen more out there.

But here it's pretty good. And in fact, some of the flights arriving into this airport are actually getting in early. We haven't really seen many delays here in terms of arrivals or departures. We did talk to one traveler who was heading to Kentucky this afternoon, and she explained why things are a little bit easier for this year. Listen here.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I think the weather this year, especially there was the snowstorm on Wednesday. So I think a lot of people maybe left earlier or drove to avoid it. But I do think people get more used to it. I think that the travel around TSA and people are getting more used to what to pack and how to pack and are a little quicker with it. So, it's not so bad anymore.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

MCPIKE: And in terms of things being quicker, I did talk to a TSA spokesman just a short wheel ago, and he said a lot more people are using TSA pre-check. It's this card that you can get for $85, and it lasts for five years. And you can go through this quicker line and not have to take off shoes, not take liquid out. That sort of thing. A lot of people are doing that this year.

What we have learned, though, is that more good news, falling gas prices, 90 percent of travelers is what the AAA says are traveling by roads. So the roads might be a little bit more backed up than the airports. And, in fact, coming into big cities you will see big bottlenecks on the highways.

WHITFIELD: God. All right, we love the warning. Thank you so much, Erin McPike.

All right. Mother nature is cooperating for most of the holiday travelers so far. But there could be some trouble spots along the way. CNN meteorologist Jennifer Gray takes a look.

JENNIFER GRAY, CNN METEOROLOGIST: Fred, if you are traveling back today, should be much better compared to Wednesday when people are trying to get to thanksgiving. The east coast clear. We do have some clouds hanging around, but nothing that's going to slow you down with the airports. We are seeing temperatures in the 50s and low 60s.

Look at the temperatures in the south. Mild, 68 degrees in Atlanta, 77 in New Orleans, 76 in Dallas. The very cold air is going to stay to the north. Unfortunately, our friends in the northern plains, brutal temperatures this morning. Single digits and teens across much of the northern plains.

The only hang-ups today will be from the Rockies to the west. We are looking at even some snow and a lot of rain, actually, entering California. Good news, though, that they are getting the rain. They need it so, so bad.

Look at the temperatures. Teens, single digits, 20s for Minneapolis over the next couple of days. The best places to be will be in the south. Temperatures in Atlanta today and tomorrow will be los to 70 degrees. We do cool off a little bit by midweek. Nothing major, though. Dallas, quite a temperature swing compared to today to tomorrow, 76 today, 44 tomorrow. That's quite a change. New York City, even feeling quite nice. In the 50s the next two days before cooling off as well.

Here's that system pushing on to California. We are looking at a lot of rain. Some areas could see anywhere from three to five inches. From San Francisco all the way up to Redding (INAUDIBLE) and points south could pick up about an inch or two even western Oregon could pick up two to four inches.

So Fred, looking good for travel on the east coast. The west, though, is going to stay wet.

WHITFIELD: All right. Looks like it. But the west definitely needs some of that moisture.

Thanks so much, Jennifer.

All right, Pope Francis ends his historic trip to Turkey. Next, we examine why it was a groundbreaking event for Catholics around the world.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Pope Francis back in Rome after his three-day visit to Turkey. And during his visit end to the predominantly Muslim country, the Pope called for interfaith dialogue and an end to religious persecution.

I'm joined now by CNN religious commentator and host of the Sunday mass, Father Edward Beck. Good to see you, father.

FATHER EDWARD BECK, CNN RELIGIOUS COMMENTATOR: You too, Fred.

WHITFIELD: So in your view, why was this trip so important?

BECK: Well, it began with this whole conversation with the Christian- Muslim dialogue which, as we know, has been very, very significant. You recall when Pope Benedict then in 2006 gave that famous speech in Regensburg where he alienated a lot of the Muslim world because of an ill-chosen metaphor. He then went to Turkey, and he went to the blue mosque in Turkey, and he prayed with the Muslim leaders in that mosque.

Well, Pope Francis on this trip returned to that same mosque and prayed with the Muslim leaders there, and this has done a lot to heal the Muslim-Christian rift. And so, that was an important step. When he first met with the president, President Erdogan, on Friday, again, the president was calling for Pope Francis to denounce Islamaphobia, which, of course, Pope Francis did, but he denounced all extremism, all fundamentalism.

And so, the first real important part of this trip was the Christian- Muslim dialogue that Pope Francis is hoping to wade into those waters and to repair some of the damage.

WHITFIELD: Does it appear at least from the world view and maybe within and outside the catholic church this Pope seems to do no wrong? He seems to have a way in which to bring people together or try to narrow the divide. This trip, does that best kind of exemplify the power and means he is able to do that?

BECK: I think it does because he is not only trying to do it between other faiths, but within his own Christian faith. Remember, an important part of this trip was to meet with the patriarch of Constantinople. And he went to the cathedral there in Istanbul. And it's a remarkable moment where he asked for the blessing of patriarch Bartholomew. And he put his head down -- remember, when he first went out and asked for the blessings of all of the people gathered in Rome when he was first elected, he put his head down and patriarch Bartholomew kissed his head. This is the first historically for the patriarch to kiss the head of the Roman-right Pope. Remember, this is fascism (ph) has been an effect since 1054. So there's a lot of healing to be done.

But these two men said that they are committed to the interfaith dialogue between orthodox Christianity and Roman right Christianity. And this has been, again, a big step in that dialogue.

WHITFIELD: What about his message or his efforts to really kind of reach, you know, religious extremism, and particularly as we talked about the power of -- and the reach of ISIS and how there has been a targeting of Christians? Is the Pope -- he has had messages, you know, prior to this weekend, but is he particularly conscience about trying to reach those extremists to try to bring or promote some sort of peace? BECK: Again, Fred, that was a main reason for this mission. There is

the Diaspora of Christians have fled Syria, fled Iraq into Turkey. Now, remember, Turkey has 76 million people. Ninety seven percent are Muslim. But this Diaspora Christian community feels forgotten and lost.

So before Pope Francis boarded the plane back to Rome, he met today with 50 refugees from Syria and Iraq to assure them they are not alone. They are not forgotten. And he said that the conflict with regard ISIL cannot only be military intervention, but we must have this interfaith dialogue between Christianity and Islam to begin to heal the rift. So this is very much on the concern of Pope Francis. Denouncing that kind of violence and saying how can we come to some kind of (INAUDIBLE) between the faiths so we can't use religion as a dividing factor.

WHITFIELD: He seems to be very bold and it is seems to be that way from the very beginning.

Father Edward Beck, thank you so much. Appreciate it.

BECK: Thank you.

WHITFIELD: Chuck Hagel is out as secretary of defense, the third defense chief to leave the Obama administration. Now a question buzzing around Capitol Hill. Who next to fill that job?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: In Washington the search is on for a new defense secretary to replace Chuck Hagel, so who will the president pick?

Joining me right now, CNN political commentators Ross Douthat and Errol Louis. Good to see both of you.

So Errol, you first. Will this be a tough job for this president to fill?

ERROL LOUIS, CNN POLITICAL COMMENTATOR: It certainly will. This is going to be the fourth defense secretary in six years that the president has to fill. There's a reason that these guys don't stay, and one of the underlying reasons is a new defense doctor has to be created out of whole cloth, you know.

At the time the president ran in 2008, all the things that he talked about doing have really sort of gone by the board. There was no ISIS back then. There was no threat in the Ukraine. Now he has to sort of retool and rethink everything from first principles and that's not going to so easy to do.

WHITFIELD: So Ross, is that realistic to expect this president two years left is going to, you know, establish a new defense doctrine and say I'm going to proceed differently because I have a new person in that seat?

ROSS DOUTHAT, OP-ED COLUMNIST, "THE NEW YORK TIMES": I mean, I think on the evidence of what we have seen in the last few years, the person in the seat doesn't really make that much of a difference. And this is one of the reasons that you have already seen some of the leading contenders for the job, figures like Jack Reid and Michelle (INAUDIBLE) take themselves out of the running is that everyone understands that whether he comes up with a new doctrine or not, the president is making defense policy. Power is concentrated in the White House in this administration, you know.

It's always concentrated, but it's concentrated to a greater degree. And with Hagel there was always a sense that he was brought on because the president wanted a Republican to preside over, you know, particular defense cuts and withdrawals and so on and policies that obviously aren't in effect anymore. But Hagel was never the guy making defense policy.

And big things were happening, you know, when the president decided not to launch air strikes on Syria, for instance. He decided that taking a walk with his chief of staff, Dennis McDonough. And I think everyone looking at this job is going to say, well, you know, I mean, why would I want to serve for two years in a role where I'm not going to be putting my tamp on things?

WHITFIELD: So, is it feeling that Fornoi (ph) and Reid, while they took their names out of the running, perhaps, this administration especially as it tackled whether Hagel should resign or is he, you know, whether he is forced out, that they already know who they want to select, and those two names are likely just decoys, Errol?

LOUIS: Well, I don't know if it's quite that subtle or sophisticated. I think the reality is just as Ross said. You know, if you only have 24 months to take a job and every day of that job is going to be difficult, you're going to be blocked and frustrated at every turn, that's not necessarily what one would want to sign up for especially if you have a reasonably secure seat as Jack Reid does, you know, in the Senate. That's a lifetime tenure for all intents and purposes as oppose to just a couple of years, a really tough slot.

This White House, though, from all of the press, all of the insider leaks, what Hagel himself said, the abrupt manner of his departure, this White House has to own its defense problem right now. And I don't think you're going to find too many people who want to jump in bed with them and say they want to own it too.

WHITFIELD: Isn't that the explanation then behind the micromanagement that this administration wants to own its policies. But, unfortunately, Ross, the other sects haven't liked that?

DOUTHAT: Well, right. But it's also become, I think, a more significant problem in the second term. That both Robert Gates and Leon Panetta, I think, had clearly more influence over foreign policy, decision making, national security, and so on than Hagel ever did. And just as Errol said, in the last two years, you know, you are dealing with a lame-duck president. You are going to have even more of a lame-duck defense secretary, and we haven't mentioned specific names. But the names that are coming up are names of people who are either already inside the White House, like Bob Work (ph), the current deputy secretary, or Ashton Carter, who is already deputy defense secretary.

So you are looking at people who are already seen as sort of inside or have been inside the circle, people who are basically working for or have worked for the president already. You aren't going to get somebody -- some heavy hitter coming in from outside especially since, you know, if you are Michelle (INAUDIBLE), why wouldn't you want to wait to be secretary of defense in a potentially Hillary Clinton or some other democratic administration down the road?

LOUIS: And it's got to be mentioned real briefly that, I mean, look, you don't want an unelected defense secretary starting a new war in Syria or anywhere else. I mean, some of these decisions are properly run by the political department.

WHITFIELD: OK. Well, we're going to leave it there.

Errol Louis, Ross Douthat, thanks so much. Good to see you. Appreciate it.

LOUIS: Happy holidays.

WHITFIELD: Happy rest of the holiday weekend. Yes. All right.

And more bad news coming to the way of comedian Bill Cosby. Plus, our legal ladies look at where new sexual assault allegations go from here.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Bottom of the hour now. Welcome back. I'm Fredricka Whitfield. The historic Terrytown Music Hall in New York is reportedly offering refunds for Bill Cosby's shows next Saturday to those who request it.

This comes after at least 15 women accuse the comedian of sexual assault and rape. Keep in mind, Cosby has not been charged, and recently the University of Massachusetts Amherst cut ties with him. Cosby got his masters and doctorate degrees in education from the university back in the 1970s.

It's yet another blow to his famed career. As a former model named Jewel Allison comes forward with claims that he drugged and raped her 30 years ago. Allison spoke candidly to CNN about the night she says Cosby assaulted her.

We want to warn you, parts of her story are very difficult to hear and are sexually graphic. Here is Susan Candiotti.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JEWEL ALLISON, SAYS COSBY SEXUALLY ASSAULTED HER: Cosby is a human being. He did his job and did it well, but he is not a messiah, and none of us are.

SUSAN CANDIOTTI, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Jewel Allison publicly divulging a humiliating sex encounter with Bill Cosby. She says happened about 25 years ago.

ALLISON: It makes it very difficult.

CANDIOTTI: Even more difficult and painful, she says, is coming forward as a woman of color about a man who means so much to black Americans, especially when she claims he abused her in the late '80s.

ALLISON: I won't take this black man down who is providing so many jobs for black people, and doing something that was historic in a positive way. I understand why we're in denial. I understand why we don't want to believe this. I didn't want to believe it.

CANDIOTTI: In her 20s when Cosby was twice her age, Jewel Allison was a model, an aspiring actress doing voice-overs in New York. Her agent, she says, set up a meeting with Cosby, including visits to his wildly popular "Cosby Show" set. She went to dinner at his house.

ALLISON: He said I'm meeting with a couple of you who have college educations, who I think could do a little bit better than modeling. You know, I want to help you all out.

CANDIOTTI: You thought --

ALLISON: Sounds good to me.

CANDIOTTI: She accepted a second invitation.

(on camera): What happened that night?

ALLISON: I wasn't there for very long before he asked me if I wanted something to drink, and he showed me a bottle of wine. I don't remember the age on it, but the age was impressive. I said, OK. He fixed me a glass of wine. I drank a little bit of it. Not a lot, took a couple of sips.

It tasted horrible, and I'm, like, I'm not drinking the rest of this. He then came over to me and he said stand up, and he helped me get up from here. I stood up. At this point, I'm kind of out of it, and I'm thinking was it the wine?

He said let's go into the next room where there was a mirror. And I remember that there was a mirror. I'll never forget that there was a mirror because he told me to look in the mirror, and he was in back of me at this point.

CANDIOTTI: Did he say why he wanted to you look in the mirror?

ALLISON: After he had an orgasm he said to me, you know, after which he said look at the glow in your face, but before then he took my hand and he put it in back of me and I felt something wet on my hand, and then that's when I realized that something sexual was going on, but I was unable to stop it.

Then he turned me around, and he helped me -- he put his hands on my shoulders, and he walked me out, and he said let's get you home or something like that. At that point, he hugged me, you know, which I felt was really bizarre, in an affectionate way, and he kisses me at the door.

All of it didn't make any sense and he opens up the door. There's a taxi there. There's a yellow taxi there. I always thought you had to flag taxis down. So the ride home was bizarre because I got violently ill.

CANDIOTTI (voice-over): She kept it under wraps.

ALLISON: I came home crying. It's horrible because it's, like, someone just sexually assaulted me and drugged me, and it was Cosby. The one person that we -- that meant so much to us, which I think is not fair.

CANDIOTTI: Privately she's told a few friends over the years, but after seeing other women come forward, she's breaking her silence.

ALLISON: I have learned that fear can cripple you. It can make you sick. It can make you not sleep at night, and once I decided to put had in God's hands, and I said I know you got this.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Do not be a victim of circumstances.

CANDIOTTI: A writer and public speaker, Allison has not yet addressed the Cosby issue.

(on camera): Is there anything that you would say to him?

ALLISON: Begin praying and get the strength and the courage to begin to tell yourself the truth.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

CANDIOTTI: Bill Cosby has not been charged with any crime. Some venues have canceled his shows. CNN has reached out to his lawyers about Allison's claims. They have not responded.

In a blanket statement last week, his lawyer wrote, "we have refuted these new unsubstantiated stories. When will it end? It is long pastime for this media vilification of Mr. Cosby to stop." Susan Candiotti, CNN, New York.

WHITFIELD: Coming up, we talk to our legal ladies to find out if there is, indeed, a legal road ahead.

Plus, calls to fire a GOP staffer now growing louder after she goes after the first daughters because of these outfits. What that staffer said that has so many outraged.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It's Switzerland, it's great.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When Roger Federer defeated Richard Gasquet last Sunday, it marked the first time that Switzerland won the Davis Cup and it's the top team competition. UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Personally, I'm unbelievably happy. I've been playing in this competition for almost 15 years now. I think it's an amazing day for sports in our country, in Switzerland, you know, we're a smaller country, we don't win bigger events. Every other week, so from that stand point, I think it's a big day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The team returned to Switzerland and was greeted by a crowd of 10,000 fans to help them celebrate what could be a seminal moment in the country's sporting history.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I hope it can create things for the future for sports in general. And with tennis, that's great. But even for other sports to inspire a generation and many other people to invest more into sports.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Back now to the latest accusations of sexual assault and rape against Bill Cosby, this time a former model, Jewel Allison, tells CNN in graphic detail how Cosby gave her something to drink before he allegedly sexually assaulted her.

She never pressed charges because she didn't want to be the one who took down Cosby, who provided so many jobs, in her view, and made TV history, in her words, in so many ways.

Well, joining me now criminal defense attorney, Ashley Merchant, and Judge Glenda Hatchet. Good to see both of you. So Judge, you first, in Allison's case, she says she never pressed charges, but she's coming out in detail, in large part, because there are so many other women, who have very similar accounts.

But given that Cosby has already lost a television opportunity with NBC, TV land is no longer going to be airing some of his shows, and even University of Massachusetts Amherst is now dropping its relations with him.

Could Cosby turn around and say, wait a minute, you know, I'm now ready to press charges because of all that I have lost given the statute of limitations has run out?

JUDGE GLENDA HATCHET, "JUDGE HATCHETT" TV COURT SERIES: Well, he could press charges. The question is, is it wise? If I'm representing Cosby, I would tell him not to because once he opens that door and he files charges against them saying that he has lost money, he has been defamed, he then has a real storm on his hands in my opinion.

And if he presses and goes forward with the civil matter, which technically he could do, I think it would be very unwise.

WHITFIELD: And then the flip side to that is these women who are coming out in large numbers, statute of limitations may be out, Ashleigh, but in any way given their stories, have so much in common, is there a way in which they could pursue something legally against a Bill Cosby?

ASHLEIGH MERCHANT, CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Pretty much every option they had has passed. They would have had civil remedies. They would have been able to sue him. You could sue on assault in civil court and get damages.

If he was to look at a defamation suit, he would have to actually prove that these allegations were incorrect, untrue in order to actually sue and try to get damages against them for tarnishing his reputation now, which would be virtually impossible. He would have to have some proof that what they were saying was untrue.

WHITFIELD: So is this in large part, perhaps an explanation as to why Bill Cosby hasn't explained or responded in great detail?

HATCHET: Well, he shouldn't legally.

WHITFIELD: He should not, why?

HATCHET: If he says anything, it's a no win situation. We all want to hear from him. You know, we grew up watching him. I mean, he was the daddy image on television, very positive image, and a lot of us are very deeply disappointed, and we want to hear from him. But if I were his lawyer, I would tell him to do exactly what he is doing, and then that's not to say anything.

MERCHANT: If you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all.

WHITFIELD: Very little is said about his wife. We haven't heard from his wife, Camille, but if she were to consider taking legal action against her husband as a result of all that has transpired, maybe it would even be by way of a divorce, what are we talking about?

How can even though statute of limitations have run out, there is no legal, I guess, road that has been built for these accusers, but would his wife be able to use any of that information to her advantage?

HATCHETT: Of course, she would. Of course, she would.

WHITFIELD: How?

HATCHETT: She would be able to depose these women. Her lawyer would be able to depose these women, and let's be very clear. This is not new news to Camille Cosby, that Bill has said that he has been -- you know, he has been unfair in the marriage.

He has never admitted to rape, but he has admitted to infidelity in this marriage, so this is not all new. If -- she can actually use these conversations, these depositions with these women. And it will be really brutal.

MERCHANT: She can use it for damages in the divorce, such as equitable division of property. Who gets the house? Who gets this bank account? Who gets x amount of dollars? She can also use it as hash money. I mean, you could advise her, as her lawyer, look, maybe you want to pressure him into settling with you in the divorce for a favorable settlement if you agree not to push this forward.

HATCHETT: It will never go to trial. That case would never go to trial. There would be a settlement.

WHITFIELD: We don't have any reason to believe that this is the route in which Camille, you know -- none of her -- no one in her camp nor has she said that, but I'm just curious because it seems like there are so many options given that the accusations are building. It seems like something in some camp is going to give.

HATCHETT: This may not be over because we're already at 15, and it seems that every time the door is open, other women feel more comfortable to come out and say, and the story is very similar.

WHITFIELD: All right, thanks so much. We're not done, ladies. We've got more. UVA is now putting in place a zero tolerance policy after being accused of letting alleged rapists stay on its campus. But why wasn't there a policy like that to begin with?

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: One of the nation's most prestigious university is under fire after a "Rolling Stone" report about rape on its campus. Now the university is adopting a zero tolerance policy for sexual misconduct.

Our legal ladies are back with me now, Judge Glenda Hatchet and criminal defense attorney, Ashleigh Merchant. All right, Ladies, so the "Rolling Stone" article, the dean who investigates sexual misconduct on campus defended the fact that no student has been expelled for rape or sexual assault. Not even the ones she says have admitted their guilt. Listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

NICOLE ERAMO, ASSOCIATE DEAN OF STUDENTS, UVA: I feel like if a person is willing to come forward in that setting and admit that they violated the policy when there's absolutely no advantage to do so, that that does deserve some consideration.

That they're willing to say that I have done something wrong and I recognize that, and I am willing to take my licks and deal with it, that's very important to me.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

WHITFIELD: And just to be clear, we did reach out to Dean Eramo to see if she could join us in any conversation about this, and we have yet to hear a response. You're as magenta as your dress right now, Judge.

HATCHETT: First of all, take their licks and deal with the consequences. Let's start there. There were no consequences. No one has been expelled under this policy. Now in all fairness, she does present the three options. You can press criminal charges. You can go to an internal hearing panel for that, or you can confront the accused person informally.

But I will tell you that if I am on the other side of the bench, practicing law now, I would take a lawsuit against the University of Virginia. This is outrageous.

WHITFIELD: I am wondering how some of the parents of some of these young ladies are now considering and thinking about this as they are reading in "Rolling Stone" as they're hearing sometimes in some cases from their daughters for the first time because of this. It was almost like a code of silence. There was a -- it was social suicide according to one of the alleged victims, to tell anybody about it.

HATCHETT: Let's understand that she was gang-raped. The woman who the article was about, she was gang-raped by several -- seven men while two other men stood and encouraged. They said but if you do this, if you report it, it will kill you socially.

MERCHANT: You're a freshman. Her friends helped her decide not to report it.

HATCHETT: These are allegations. It has not been prosecuted.

MERCHANT: She hasn't brought charges. She decided to not bring charges. She decided that isn't what she wanted to do, possibly with the encouragement.

WHITFIELD: UVA is saying we are now adopting a zero tolerance policy, and I guess, many are aghast that there wasn't a policy in place. That it's been OK or because by omission of a policy that says sexual misconduct is simply forbidden, that it almost gave license to?

MERCHANT: This is a very difficult age legally to deal with. You have college students who are of age. They're adults, but their parents still feel like the school -- they're entrusting the school officials to take care of them, and maybe they are adults legally, but they're not really. I mean, they're still college students that still need guidance. That's why they have guidance counselors.

The dean would have had to have reported these to authorities, but because they're over 18, there are no mandatory reporting laws. Parents don't have to be told.

HATCHETT: But the Obama administration has done an investigation, which I applaud.

WHITFIELD: It's one of over 80 colleges and universities are now being invested.

HATCHETT: University of Virginia is on a special level of investigation now, and so they don't have any choice, Fredricka, but to have zero tolerance.

WHITFIELD: It potentially could mean federal funding will not go to any of these universities that are -- didn't do enough.

HATCHETT: Under Title Nine they are really in deep water here because it's a federal issue now because of Title Nine and these investigations. There are lawsuits that are popping up around the country on these matters.

WHITFIELD: Still a lot at stake, but, you know, certainly no one can put a price on a young person's life when they're involved in anything that these allegations are spelling out.

HATCHETT: Your friend says why didn't you relax and enjoy this? Where is this coming from?

WHITFIELD: Yes, it's scary. All right, Judge Glenda Hatchett, Ashleigh Merchant, thanks so much to both of you ladies. Appreciate it. Have a great rest of the holiday weekend. A few hours left before the holiday weekend is over.

HATCHETT: Go Falcons.

WHITFIELD: Thanks so much.

All right, now there are calls to fire a GOP aid after she says the first daughters are not classy, her words. That Republican staffer responding now to the outrage.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

WHITFIELD: Outrage is growing after a Republican congressman's communications director harshly criticized President Obama's teenage daughters on Facebook, and the #fireelizabethlawton is also trending on Twitter, despite her apology.

Lawton said after many hours of prayer, talking to my parents, and re- reading my words online, I can see more clearly just how hurtful my words were." But as Brian Stelter reports, many say it's a case of too little too late.

BRIAN STELTER, CNN HOST, "RELIABLE SOURCES": Hi, Fred. I think the stories gain a lot of traction because historically the first daughters and the first sons of presidents have been, for lack of a better word, off limits. You know, politicians and the media can criticize and scrutinize the adults all they want.

But there's been a general sort of sense that people don't go after the children of those presidents. I think that's probably why this has gotten so much attention. What's interesting is this woman is a communications director. She works with the media. She speaks to the press and the public for Tennessee Congressman Steve Fincher.

Yet, now she is in this PR nightmare, I would say, and it all started because of her Facebook post, as you said, on Thanksgiving. This was something that she posted in relative obscurity.

It was barely noticed until a reporter at the African-American news website "The Root" noticed it. That got it a lot of attention. That caused it to go viral. Now there have been calls for her to be fired. I'm not so sure that will actually happen.

We haven't heard from the congressman about this over the weekend. They may be trying to wait and see if it blows over. But it really get to that point I was making about how the children of presidents have historically been off limits. That was true for George W. Bush. That was true for Bill Clinton, and all into the past as well.

It's one thing to criticize the president, to say, as she did that your mother and father don't respect their positions very much or the nation for that matter. But it's another thing to address them directly and say try showing a little class. That's what created so much outrage in this case. And that's why I think people are now waiting to see what the congressman is going to say.

Fred, back to you.