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Nancy Grace
Friend of Accuser Says She`s Lying About Lawrence Taylor
Aired May 13, 2010 - 00:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
NANCY GRACE, HOST: Breaking news tonight. A "Dancing With the Stars" phenom stuns fans with moves on the dance floor, but police say he had a pimp deliver a teenage girl to his room, like she`s a pizza, the girl beaten with a black eye when she refused. Then, allegedly, the star attacks the girl, sexually attacks the girl. After secretly sending out a frantic text message, cops manage to locate and rescue the teen girl.
Bombshell tonight. Charges of human trafficking filed by the feds, as the 16-year-old gives graphic details of the night she was forced into the room with Taylor, including his using a condom and saying nothing as she left the room, just ordering her to cut off the TV. We learn Taylor allegedly confesses to cops he paid the girl $300 he says for a sex act, cops say for a sex assault. This while a so-called friend claims the 16- year-old girl denies the incident, even after cops find a used condom and a bottle of brandy in the hotel room. We also learn cops managed to salvage that text, the one the teen sends that night begging her uncle for help.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Pro football Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor has been charged in the rape of a 16-year-old runaway girl. Police in New York say a pimp brought her to Taylor`s suburban hotel room against her will.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. A friend of the 16-year-old girl allegedly raped by NFL superstar and former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Lawrence Taylor comes forward.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When you have sex with a 16-year-old girl, then gave her $300, it`s called statutory rape.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: He paid her for what he thought was sex.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to an unnamed source who spoke to "The New York Post," she claims the girl said no intercourse happened at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Prosecutors say she had sex.
GRACE: I wonder what that used rubber was doing there in his hotel room.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: When this condom comes up and it happens to have DNA in it, obviously...
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: ... lawyer claiming no sex at all.
ARTHUR AIDALA, ATTORNEY FOR LAWRENCE TAYLOR: Lawrence Taylor did not have consensual sex with anybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, the victim bragged about making, quote, "easy money" because, quote, "I didn`t have to F him."
AIDALA: Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Having sex with a 16-year-old`s illegal. He had to deny it.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: What impact will her shocking statements have on the criminal investigation against Lawrence Taylor?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: I think that powerful people have a way of getting out of things better than anybody else because they`re rich and they are famous.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: And breaking news tonight. Caught on video, teacher beat, a female science teacher beating a 6th grade boy, dragging the boy across the classroom floor, leaving the little boy with a black eye, his back covered in bruises. And it`s all caught on video. Tonight, we have the video.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a terrible sight, a teacher hitting, dragging, slapping and beating a student.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: For almost one minute, this teacher was caught on a cell phone camera terrorizing a student. She beat and slapped the boy as classmates cheered and laughed. The teacher was placed on leave after the student`s mother notified school administrators.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You think the boy victim really did something to provoke that teacher? All the boy did, they say, was join their impromptu dance lesson with another student.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The student seen on camera getting hit is 13 years old. The boy`s mother, Alicia Johnson (ph), told me by phone he suffered a black eye and several bruises. Jamie`s (ph) house is a charter school for students with disciplinary problems. The spokesperson says no matter what the teen may have done to provoke the teacher, he didn`t deserve to get hit.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Good evening. I`m Nancy Grace. I want to thank you for being with us. Bombshell tonight. We learn the "Dancing With the Stars" phenom Lawrence Taylor allegedly confesses to paying $300 for a sex act with a teen. Cops say no sex act, sex assault. This while a so-called friend claims the 16-year-old girl denies the incident, even after cops find a used condom and a bottle of brandy in the hotel room.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Major developments for a "Dancing" superstar accused of rape. A friend of the alleged victim could be a key witness for NFL legend Lawrence Taylor`s defense.
AIDALA: My client did not have sex with anybody, no. Period. Amen. Is that enough?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An unnamed source tells "The New York Post" the 16-year-old victim bragged to the friend about making a quick payday because the Hall of Famer allegedly just masturbated before paying her $300.
AIDALA: Lawrence Taylor did not have consensual with anybody. The district attorney`s office is charging him with a consensual act. He didn`t have a consensual -- he did not have consensual sex with anyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The friend, a stripper who lived with the alleged victim and her pimp, claims that she spoke to cops to clear up three things. One, they did not have sex. Two, the victim is lying. Three, Lawrence Taylor is innocent of all charges.
AIDALA: Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody. Am I clear?
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: So I guess that defense lawyer, Arthur Aidala, is going to say that used condom belonged to somebody else. Straight out to Kelli Zink with Celebtv.com, joining us. Kelli, what`s the latest?
KELLI ZINK, CELEBTV.COM: The latest we`re hearing is he`s claiming it was masturbation, that he did not have sex with this girl. The bottle of brandy did come from the girl, and it was in the hotel room...
GRACE: Wait a minute.
ZINK: ... and there was a condom...
GRACE: Wait a minute. Kelli Zink, masturbation for hire doesn`t jibe with a used condom. That doesn`t even make any sense.
ZINK: No, it doesn`t. But Lawrence...
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: ... juvenile, even that would be child molestation.
ZINK: And today would have been her 17th birthday, which is so ironic because 17 is the legal age for consensual sex in New York. But she was 16. I digress. The condom in the room was not Lawrence`s, he is saying. Maybe it was there before. Obviously, this Holiday Inn, you know, it`s not the Ritz, the Four Seasons. So he`s saying, It wasn`t mine, I paid the girl for masturbation. That`s it. That`s what she`s saying now.
GRACE: Well, you know what? That`s nothing that a DNA test can`t handle, Jean Casarez, legal correspondent with "In Session." Jean, what can you tell me about the feds filing human trafficking charges today?
JEAN CASAREZ, "IN SESSION": Well, there`s a federal complaint, and that`s against the alleged pimp and it is sexual trafficking of a minor. And it says, in essence, that Rasheed Davis unlawfully, willingly and knowingly lured a young woman to engage in commercial sex acts. That is the federal...
GRACE: Well, wait a minute, Jean! This is what I don`t understand. Lawrence Taylor, the "Dancing With the" -- there you see him. Look at those moves on the dance floor. If they are charging the pimp with human trafficking -- take down the Chyrons, please -- because of forcing sex on a 16-year-old girl, wouldn`t that make Lawrence Taylor a co-conspirator, an accessory to the crime, a party to the crime? How come he`s not charged?
CASAREZ: They`re not charging it that way. They`re just charging Rasheed Davis, the feds are. The state complaint, however, is charging Lawrence Taylor with that statutory rape.
And the press release that has come out from the police department in Ramapo, New York, is saying that they went to the hotel after they got a call from New York police. They introduced themselves, a man by the name of Lawrence Taylor introduced himself back, and that because of an interview that they had with him after that, that is when they filed the charges of rape. So they are saying, in essence, that he admitted to having sexual intercourse, which is what the statute demands, with this minor.
GRACE: Everybody, you`re seeing video from ABC`s "Dancing With the Stars." Jean Casarez, I`ve got with me -- and yes, the answer to your question was the feds didn`t charge it that way. I know the feds didn`t charge Taylor, the celebrity with "Dancing With the Stars," with human trafficking. I get it.
But what I`m saying is, they should have. Why should he be exempt from participating in human trafficking when he has sex with a little girl that is forced, that is allegedly beaten into submission? He paid the money for the pimp. If the pimp is charged with human trafficking -- Eleanor, Eleanor Odom, help me out here -- party to the crime -- - he`s just as involved as the pimp is.
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Exactly. And you could charge it just that way. He`s just as guilty, he participated, and additionally charging him with the sexual assaults.
GRACE: Out to the lines. Diana, Florida. Hi, dear. What`s your question? I think I`ve got Diane with me. Are you there, dear?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hello?
GRACE: Hi, Diane. What`s your question?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: You are a wonderful lady, first, with beautiful twins.
GRACE: Thank you.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And my question is, why was there a condom found if he didn`t use it?
GRACE: You know, that`s a great question. Kelli Zink seemed to think it was kind of funny. I don`t find it funny. I find it evidence in a felony case. What about it, Ellie, Jostad?
ELLIE JOSTAD, NANCY GRACE PRODUCER: Well, Nancy, TMZ are the ones who had originally reported. And I should point out that in the documents that we got from police, they do not mention a condom. TMZ has reported that a used condom was found in the room. But they`re also hearing that the possible defense is going to be that it was just a masturbatory act that Taylor performed on himself and there was no intercourse between the two.
GRACE: A masturbatory act with a condom. Oh, sorry. I forgot. It`s not him. It`s not his. Blame the cleaning crew.
Dr. Bethany Marshall, you know what? Throw me a bone here. Come on. Try to blame the cleaning crew for leaving a used condom in the room?
BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST: And here`s the clincher. He claims it was a masturbatory act, but according to one report, he also said the lights were off so he couldn`t see her. Therefore, he didn`t know she had a black eye. How can you have a masturbatory act using someone to stimulate your sexual fantasies and you can`t even see them? It means that he would have masturbated looking at a woman who had been beaten up and abused by the pimp. And that is what is so horrible!
GRACE: And to Sheryl McCollum, crime analyst, director of a cold case squad, your specialty, crime scenes. Somebody else`s condom?
SHERYL MCOLLUM, CRIME ANALYST: Not going to fly, Nancy. His DNA will be on it. The victim also said he was fixed (ph). Why would he have a condom?
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: After the events took place in that room 160 at the Holiday Inn, Mr. Davis then took our victim back to New York City. Our victim had previously been reported as a runaway. She was reported missing in Bronx, New York, in March of this year. Her age at that time was 15. She`s presently 16 years old.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIDALA: Lawrence Taylor did not have consensual sex with anybody.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Breaking news. A friend of the 16-year-old girl allegedly raped by NFL superstar and former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant Lawrence Taylor comes forward.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In these kinds of cases, you never know what can happen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: According to an unnamed source who spoke to "The New York Post," she claims the girl said no intercourse happened at all.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Lawyer claiming no sex at all.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Denies, denies, denies!
AIDALA: He didn`t have a consensual -- he did not have consensual sex with anyone.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: In fact, the victim bragged about making, quote, "easy money" because, quote, "I didn`t have to F him."
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If they had sex, if there`s evidence that they had sex, this man is guilty because it`s already been proven, I guess, that she`s under the age of 17.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: When this case finally gets to court, there are going to be a lot of questions.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Did you hear the defense attorney just say he did not have consensual sex with anyone? I guess that was one of those Freudian slips.
Unleash the lawyers -- Eleanor Odom, sex crimes prosecutor, Renee Rockwell, defense attorney, Atlanta, Peter Odom, defense attorney, Atlanta. Eleanor Odom, don`t you just hate it when the defense attorneys blurt something out like that? He`s right, there was not a consensual sex act because a 16-year-old girl cannot consent to sex.
ELEANOR ODOM: Exactly right, Nancy. She cannot consent to any of this. And in fact, let`s not forget she`s the victim here, Nancy. She`s a child and she can`t consent to a contract, much less a sex act.
GRACE: OK, Renee, I`ve been waiting for this. I`m prepared. Weigh in.
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, Nancy, he obviously committed himself as an attorney when he might have had a sit-down with his client and his client may have told him ahead of time, Look, all I did was masturbate in front of the girl. So maybe he was correct in pinning himself in that corner.
GRACE: You know what, Renee? You`ve been defending -- you`ve been defending cases way too long. That just rolls off your tongue without even a tiny pause. OK, Peter Odom, give me your best shot. And while we`re at it, Clark, please bring me "The New York Post" and "The New York Daily Time (ph)" articles. Go ahead, Peter.
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: OK, well, it sounds to me, Nancy, as if the prosecution`s case just completely fell apart. Everybody was all up in arms and falling all over themselves...
GRACE: Wait, wait, wait, wait!
PETER ODOM: ... to put on their shiniest uniforms last week...
GRACE: Wait! Put him up. What? What fell apart? Because I`ve got in the prosecution`s complaint that the defendant, Lawrence Taylor -- there he is down in the bottom box, he`s the big one on "Dancing With the Stars." The defendant advised the deponant -- that`s the state -- that he did pay the girl $300. For what?
PETER ODOM: Well, the state originally charged him with having sex with her, and now it`s pretty clear that he didn`t. And they`re going to be falling all over themselves to think of a charge now, Nancy, because they`re not going to prove intercourse.
GRACE: You know -- you know, I believe you wear contacts because your vision is sorely impaired.
(LAUGHTER)
GRACE: I don`t know where you`re getting that their case is falling apart.
Back to you, Ellie Jostad, about the condemn what more do we know?
JOSTAD: Well, Nancy, in these interviews with "The New York Post" and "The New York Daily News," the girl says there was a condom used, and she goes into very graphic detail about it. She says the condom actually became stuck inside her, that she said to Lawrence Taylor, I better not get pregnant, and he told her, Don`t worry, I`m fixed.
GRACE: If he`s fixed, then why was he using a condom? We are taking your calls live. To Rhonda in Florida. Hi, Rhonda.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hi, Nancy. Thank you for taking my call. I just want to say first that your children are edible, but I don`t mean in a bad way.
GRACE: You know, they really are. I just want to eat `em up. They are just so precious. I call him my little dumpling and her my little cookie.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh, is that sweet! And they`re coming to their own personality.
GRACE: They really are.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I don`t have any children, but I can see how -- what kind of mother you really are. Honestly.
GRACE: Bless you. Now, what do you think about this case? What`s your question, Rhonda?
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: It`s in two parts.
GRACE: OK.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Even if -- even if she knew about it or forced or wasn`t forced, by her taking the money, isn`t that considered still prostitution? And isn`t oral sex still considered -- we know that from Clinton. Isn`t oral sex still considered sex? Thank you.
GRACE: OK, yes, Rhonda. Oral sex under the statute is not considered to be a rape. But it is considered to be -- in most cases, it`s sodomy, a felony offense.
To you, Eleanor Odom. Her taking $300, he may call it prostitution, but a child cannot consent to being a prostitute, Eleanor.
ELEANOR ODOM: And we keep saying that over and over again. And besides, prostitution`s illegal. So there you have it, Nancy. What he did was wrong all the way around.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
AIDALA: Mr. Taylor is denying and preparing to fight each and every one of these charges. It`s very interesting how the story started off this morning that he was -- he had physically assaulted somebody, and that has been -- the record has been cleared that Lawrence Taylor didn`t assault anybody. And the record should be very clear as to what the charges are. The charges are that there was a consensual sexual act that took place here. There`s no violence. There`s no force. There`s no threats. There`s no weapons.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: An unnamed source tells "The New York Post" the 16-year-old victim bragged to the friend about making a quick payday because the Hall of Famer allegedly just masturbated before paying her $300. The friend, a stripper who lived with the alleged victim and her pimp, claims that she spoke to cops to clear up three things. One, they did not have sex. Two, the victim is lying. Three, Lawrence Taylor is innocent of all charges.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
GRACE: Number one, I prosecuted a lot of criminal cases. And $300 is not what you pay for a masturbatory act on the street. Eleanor Odom, back me up on that. That is what you pay for intercourse.
ELEANOR ODOM: Exactly, Nancy. Otherwise, you`re paying $25.
GRACE: And I`m not talking about the high-paid escorts on line with their own Web sites and the -- you know, the beautiful lingerie, the lingerie racy photos. No, I`m talking about street dollars. Three hundred dollars is not what you pay for a masturbatory act.
And another thing. Take a listen to this. Eleanor Odom, Renee Rockwell, Peter Odom -- Renee Rockwell, every time Arthur Aidala opens his mouth, we got a different story. Number one, he comes out, there was no sex that night, nobody had sex. Next, there was no consensual sex, nobody had consensual sex. Last thing he says is, it was consensual, nobody was beaten, nobody was threatened. I`d like to put him on the stand and cross- examine him with his own statements.
ROCKWELL: But if you listen to what -- the word he`s saying, Nancy, he`s saying there was no consensual sexual intercourse. He did not say that there was...
GRACE: That`s not what he said.
ROCKWELL: No, no. Listen to him. He did not say...
GRACE: Renee, just explain one thing. One thing. The used condom.
ROCKWELL: We don`t know if it was his or not.
GRACE: Renee, with a straight face...
ROCKWELL: Wait a minute. OK.
GRACE: Please. Just try not to lie.
ROCKWELL: He could have had -- he could have had the condom on. He could have not used it for intercourse...
GRACE: You know what?
ROCKWELL: ... and he could have...
GRACE: A little green man could have beamed down from mars, used the condom and left it in Lawrence Taylor`s room! Maybe that`s what happened. And had a slug of brandy before he left!
ROCKWELL: But then we wouldn`t have the little green man`s DNA in it, would we.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ARTHUR AIDALA, LAWRENCE TAYLOR ATTORNEY: Lawrence Taylor did not have consensual sex with anybody last night. He is charged with rape. Lawrence Taylor did not rape anybody. Am I clear?
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: What was the admission?
AIDALA: I have no idea what that admission was. I don`t know what money -- what that money was. I don`t know who the admission was to, when it was, under what circumstances it was gotten under.
So we will litigate every aspect of that -- of that statement that the prosecutor`s putting forth.
Mr. Taylor is denying and preparing to fight each and every one of these charges. It`s very interesting how the story started off this morning, that he was -- physically assaulted somebody, and that has been -- the record has been cleared, that Lawrence Taylor didn`t assault anybody.
And the record should be very clear as to what the charges are. The charges are that there was a consensual sexual act that took place here. There`s no violence. There`s no force. There`s no threats. There`s no weapons.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
NANCY GRACE, HOST: You`re seeing video from ABC`s "Dancing with the Stars" up in the top block.
Can you blow that up for me, Rosie? I want to take a look at the L.T. Take down the banner please.
This is just a couple of months ago. He made it nearly to the end. Little did we know the NFL Hall of Famer was set to be charged with a sex felony.
We are taking your calls. Out to Dr. Jake Deutsch, doctor of emergency medicine, joining us from our Manhattan studios.
Doctor, thank you for being with us.
DR. JAKE DEUTSCH, M.D., DOCTOR OF EMERGENCY MEDICINE: Hi, Nancy.
GRACE: Doctor, what can we learn from her physical exam? Obviously, there`s going to be a rape kit. What does it entail?
DEUTSCH: The rape kit is a very important piece of information in this case because it`s really going to give a smoking gun in terms of genetic information, DNA evidence, from actual sperm or if there`s signs of trauma.
It`s a meticulous examination. And the evidence is collected in a way so that there`s a chain of command and it`s actually very intricate with specialized personnel who do the examination.
And what they`ll be doing is looking for hair fibers, any genetic information whether it`s from biological fluids, blood, semen, and then try to determine who`s it was and, therefore, make a conviction or determine if there was, first of all, rape.
GRACE: And, Eleanor Odom, isn`t it true that in cases of this nature, if they have been doing the right type of processing of the scene, experts, technicians would have gone into the hotel room and combed the sheets and blankets, the pillow cases, all the upholstery in that room, and find hairs, fibers, fluids -- anything to suggest that a sex act occurred?
ELEANOR ODOM, PROSECUTOR: Exactly, Nancy. They`ll use what we call a black light and see if it picks up any type of semen or saliva, anything like that, any type of fluids. And that can be very helpful as well.
GRACE: Out to the lines, Colleen, Maryland, hi, dear.
COLLEEN, CALLER FROM MARYLAND: Hi, how are you?
GRACE: I`m good, what`s your question?
COLLEEN: Well, dear, first off, I want to thank you for taking my call and for all you do to help especially the children.
GRACE: Thank you for calling, Colleen.
COLLEEN: And my question or comment is -- he claims that there was no sexual contact at all with anyone whatsoever. Why the condom? If he were pleasuring himself, what was he afraid of? An STD from his own hands?
GRACE: And another thing, if nothing happened, why the $300, Colleen? What about it, Peter Odom? Why the $300?
PETER ODOM, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Well, I`ll tell you what I think, Nancy. I think that he probably planned on doing more than he actually did. And that`s why there was a condom there. And --
GRACE: A used condom?
(CROSSTALK)
P. ODOM: You know, things do --
GRACE: A used condom?
P. ODOM: So say the police reports. We`ll see what actually comes up in that but, you know --
GRACE: Yes, the police.
P. ODOM: -- he probably brought condom -- Nancy --
GRACE: They`re real liars.
P. ODOM: He didn`t bring her there for a Girl Scout meeting. He brought her there for sexual purposes. There was alcohol in the room. Things didn`t go as far as he meant them to go including --
GRACE: Well, how do you know that? There`s a used rubber. There`s a bottle of brandy.
P. ODOM: Well, Nancy, I`m going --
GRACE: And she`s given a sworn statement. And he tells police he paid the girl -- he paid the girl $300.
P. ODOM: But a friend has given a sworn statement, too, saying that this person who gave us the first sworn statement says there was no sex. So there`s reasonable doubt all over this case whether there was actual intercourse. But the condom is easily explained away. And people use condoms, Nancy --
GRACE: But how -- wait.
P. ODOM: -- to prevent disease.
GRACE: Wait. Wait. I want to hear that. How is the condom easily explained away? Put Odom`s face up. How?
P. ODOM: Just because there was a condom there doesn`t mean there was sex. It might mean that there was sex planned but it doesn`t mean that there was sexual intercourse.
GRACE: OK. OK. Try -- we`re not dealing with a fantasy fact in Peter Odom`s head.
P. ODOM: Nor am I. No.
GRACE: We`re dealing with the police report that we`ve got which says a used condom. Now what does that suggest to you?
P. ODOM: I know what police reports -- police reports suggest things all the time --
GRACE: But, but what?
P. ODOM: -- that don`t turn out to be correct. That we already know that the original report is incorrect.
GRACE: OK, so when you read it on a police report it suggests to you that the cops are lying?
P. ODOM: No, that the police --
GRACE: Good to know.
P. ODOM: That the police think it`s used. And they`re wrong all the time.
GRACE: OK.
P. ODOM: And apparently they`re wrong in this case.
GRACE: Not to suggest that you have experience with condoms, Peter, but why -- why do you suppose police thought it was used?
P. ODOM: Probably because it was in the bottom of the trash can.
GRACE: OK. Hold on. I just want a moment of silence to just soak that answer in.
P. ODOM: Nancy, police assume things all the time that don`t end up being correct. Just as they assume that there was sexual intercourse here. Remember how the police all put on their fancy uniforms and shine up all their brass buttons to jump out in front of cameras to talk about intercourse last week?
Well, now it turns out that didn`t happen. Police are always saying things and assuming things in police reports might not be collaborated.
GRACE: Response, Eleanor?
E. ODOM: Well, I love to hear the defense attorney say that. But let`s say, if it`s there, they can test it, end of discussion. But the fact is, we can`t get away from it. Sex act of some kind occurred in that room. And that`s what happened. And the defense attorneys don`t like it.
GRACE: Out to the lines, Irene, Tennessee. Hi, Irene.
IRENE, CALLER FROM TENNESSEE: Hi, Nancy. First of all, I would like to say that my son used you as well as myself for a project two years ago when he was in fifth grade. And both of us being his heroes. As well as the fact that your daughter Lucy Elizabeth and your beautiful son John David are very blessed to have you as a mother.
And I now have a daughter, along with four boys, and my daughter`s name is Bianca Elizabeth after your loving mother, for blessing us with you for so long.
GRACE: Thank you.
IRENE: What I want to say is even if he is going to go with this masturbation excuse, even if he committed masturbation in the room with the 16-year-old, and used her to stimulate himself, isn`t that still considered rape if he did it by force?
Because no 16-year-old can legally consent to anything? And if memory serves me correct, he filed bankruptcy a few years back. And so he needs to be keeping his 300 bucks.
He`s a married man with children of his own and I`m sure he wouldn`t want his children in this position. He should have thought about what he was doing and kept his business in his pants. And kept true to his marriage and his wife.
And they just need to throw the book at him and I`m sorry, I love Peter Odom`s opinions and I honor his opinion, but he`s just totally wrong.
GRACE: He`s totally wrong. And I think he`s actually making a lot of it up. But, Irene in Tennessee, I only wish Lawrence Taylor had had a chat with you on the phone before he dialed up his pimp.
I`d like to know how he just happened to know that phone number, Irene in Tennessee.
Response, Eleanor?
E. ODOM: You got to remember, Nancy, it`s at least child molestation even if it was just the masturbatory act. That is child molestation because of the age of the victim.
GRACE: We are taking your calls. To Brandy in Michigan, hi, Brandy.
BRANDY, CALLER FROM MICHIGAN: Hi, Nancy, how are you?
GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?
BRANDY: I just wanted to say that I love you and I love your show. I watch it every night. And God bless you and your family.
But my question is, this goes about the unknown person. How do they know that this unknown source isn`t being set up to say that the young lady --
GRACE: You know what, Brandy? We don`t know. All I know about her is she was a stripper or is a stripper. I don`t know if she`s been paid off. I don`t know if this is a setup. But I do know what the 16-year-old told police.
I know police have gotten the text message she sent to her uncle begging for help. And I know that they found a used condom in the room. Reportedly.
That`s what I know.
I also know Lawrence Taylor from "Dancing with the Stars" admits he paid the girl $300. And I know she was under age.
As we go to break, a special thank you to Facebook crime fighters, California friend, Eve, a mom to beautiful 4-year-old triplets. Kentucky friend Gwen, getting her masters from Vanderbilt. And Indiana friend Kelly who uses a bloodhound to find abducted and missing persons.
Facebook friends, thank you.
Everybody, submit photos at CNN.com/Nancygrace and click on "Facebook."
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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A charter school teacher has been fired after video allegedly shows her beating a sixth grade boy in the classroom. Forty-year-old Sherri Lynn Davis has been fired from Jamie`s House Charter School in Houston, Texas after school officials saw the cell phone video on the local news.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: The tape confrontation includes hitting, kicking and pulling the student along the floor in front of classmates.
UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Obviously, once we saw the video there was no doubt that the teacher would be terminated and she was terminated last night.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: A fellow student took the video which allegedly shows Davis dragging the 13-year-old boy by his legs, slapping and kicking him and slamming his head against a wall.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Local affiliates report the school has been cited for noncompliance dozens of times by a state regulatory agency. The report said the school had failed to fix many of the problems that it had been cited for.
UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Fellow students even reportedly say that there were other teachers in the classroom who did nothing. The Harris County Sheriff`s Office is investigating the incident.
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GRACE: Look at the little boy cringing. This is a sixth grader. The teacher is beating. And if reports are true, other teachers stood by and watched it. I can hardly stand to look at it. Kicking, beating. The way she approached him, she looked like she was a professional wrestler.
To Ericka Mellon, reporter with the "Houston Chronicle," what happened?
ERICKA MELLON, REPORTER, HOUSTON CHRONICLE (via phone): Hi, Nancy. It all started with the cell phone camera. You have a student in class who was filming while the teacher is seen beating up this 13-year-old boy in a classroom for more than a minute.
And the school did confirm for me this afternoon that yes, another teacher was, in fact, in the room, and disciplinary action is pending against that teacher.
GRACE: You know what, Sheryl McCollum -- you`re the director of the Cold Case Squad, Pine Lake P.D. You know what? If somebody ever touches the twins like that, ever, you`re going to have to lock me in the house to keep me from going after them.
SHERYL MCCOLLUM, CRIME ANALYST, DIR. OF COLD CASE SQUAD AT PINE LAKE P.D.: No question. No question.
GRACE: Why isn`t this teacher behind bars? Forget suspending her.
MCCOLLUM: There is no excuse.
GRACE: She needs to be -- what is going on in that jurisdiction? Why isn`t she behind bars?
MCCOLLUM: Nancy, they`ve got the best evidence in the world right there. None of us can only stand to watch this. And you`re absolutely right, for most parents who are going to be watching this tonight, the best thing for her, the best place for her, is in jail. That`s where she`s going to be the safest.
GRACE: Hey, word to Houston PD. What are you waiting on? You`ve got it on video. We repeat in about an hour. You can tape this and you can take it to judge for an arrest warrant. Look -- what are they waiting for? Eleanor Odom?
E. ODOM: Who knows? Because it`s clear as day, Nancy. You can see exactly what she`s doing. This is cruelty to children. This is aggravated assault. And as a prosecutor, crimes against women and children, I am horrified.
GRACE: And a teacher. Look at that. The little boy`s just trying to cover himself up. This is a charter school with -- for children with problems. And I would say this kid`s biggest problem is his teacher.
Out to the lines, Anita, Kentucky. Hi, Anita.
ANITA, CALLER FROM KENTUCKY: Fine, how are you?
GRACE: I`m good, dear, what`s your question?
ANITA: I would like to know what caused her to do this and if she has been drug tested.
GRACE: You know what, because she seems like she`s on steroids. What can you tell me, Matt Zarrell?
MATT ZARRELL, NANCY GRACE STAFFER, COVERING STORY: You see, Nancy, this happened over nothing. Apparently the kids had just finished taking a standardized test. One of the 13-year-old girls in the class was dancing around. And this victim was just laughing at her.
There were -- everything was going fine. And all a sudden the teacher comes up and said, if you`re going to make fun of her, I`m going to show you something.
GRACE: Lunged, punched, beated, threw a desk away, and grabbed the little boy, the sixth grade boy, dragging him across the floor.
To Dr. Jake Deutsch, doctor, emergency medicine, what do you think about this?
DEUTSCH: I think there is a potential for some serious trauma here, Nancy. That kid was thrown to the ground which looks like it was pretty hard. There was clearly a point where his neck was pinned against the wall in a very bent position.
You know I`m thinking that there could have been head trauma, bleeding, at least concussion. Certainly broken bones specifically in the neck. I would be very worried about causing things like being paralyzed. And then kicking to the abdomen. You`re talking about blunt force trauma to the liver, the spleen.
All of which could have been fatal. I hope that that`s not case. It seems that the kid only had minor injuries. But this teacher is out of control and definitely needs to be reprimanded.
GRACE: Renee Rockwell, Peter Odom, defense attorney, let`s hear your best defense for her. Renee?
RENEE ROCKWELL, DEFENSE ATTORNEY: Who`s it to, Nancy? To me? Well, first of all, how are you going to just contest any of that? The only thing that I can say and comment on is because there was another teacher in the room, Nancy, that one`s in trouble also. While it`s not required for anybody --
GRACE: You know what? You know what? You two really beat all when it`s convenient to you. You start talking prosecution.
(CROSSTALK)
GRACE: When you don`t like it, you suddenly flip back to a defense attorney.
ROCKWELL: What are you going to do? Say it`s not the teacher?
GRACE: I asked you for her defense. No, I don`t know. You usually come up with something.
ROCKWELL: What`s she going to do is go in there. Obviously, she`s not going to go to trial. This is damage control. Was I stressed out? Was I crazy? Was I on drugs? This is an aggravated assault, Nancy. No weapon but the wall.
GRACE: OK, you`re giving me such a wide pallet of choices. I`m sure Peter --
ROCKWELL: I understand. What I`m trying to say is --
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GRACE: OK, Bethany, Bethany --
ROCKWELL: -- she`s going to take a plea on this. And throw herself at the mercy --
GRACE: Boy, that sure takes a long time to say it. Weigh in, Bethany.
BETHANY MARSHALL, PSYCHOANALYST, AUTHOR OF "DEALBREAKERS": You know I can`t stop staring at this video. What really strikes me is she`s so masculine identified like she`s a male. And she`s punching at this child almost like she imagines he`s another adult, which is what you see with child abuse.
They blur the boundaries between what it means to be an adult and what it means to be a child. And also if you take an anger management perspective, the smallest thing sets off the person with an anger management problem. The smallest thing makes them feel hurt. Attacked. And then they completely go on the attack.
And I think this woman has long-standing, simmering rage towards these children, which really worries me, and it`s just spilled over at this particular time.
GRACE: Everyone, quick break. We`re taking your calls live. But tonight, congratulations to superstar Naomi Goldstein. Graduating Wharton Business School. This weekend.
And to all of her fellow Wharton grads, break a leg.
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UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: For almost one minute, this teacher was caught on a cell phone camera terrorizing a student. She beat and slapped the boy as classmates cheered and laughed.
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GRACE: We are taking your calls. Out to Matt Zarrell, what more can you tell me?
ZARRELL: Well, apparently in January `09 she had another alleged incident of rage where she was accused of slashing a woman`s tires with a knife. Now it`s interesting. It`s two months later in March of 2009 a warrant was issued for her arrest for criminal mischief.
They never arrested her. She spent a year teaching at the school without being arrested. She turned herself in this week after she was fired from her job. She posted bond on that charge and has a hearing next week.
GRACE: You know firing isn`t good enough. I`m not going to be happy until she is behind bars and until her family sues not only the teacher but the school and the school district because they had this teacher in the classroom without knowing about her criminal problems or knowing it and ignoring it.
What about it, Peter Odom?
P. ODOM: Nancy, eventually where this case is going to go is -- to put it in context for the judge, this is not going to be a whodunit or gee, it wasn`t that bad a beating. This is an awful act.
Ultimately the defense attorney taking this case is going to try and mitigate it, put it in context for the judge, and get her the best deal they possibly can. And that school is going to be in some civil trouble as well because somebody is going to get -- that school is going to get sued.
GRACE: I hope so.
P. ODOM: No question about it.
GRACE: I hope so. To Melissa in Florida, hi, Melissa.
MELISSA, CALLER FROM FLORIDA: Hi, Nancy, how are you?
GRACE: I`m good, dear. What`s your question?
MELISSA: I have to just tell you one thing. Not only are the children adorable but no one can take your place when you have a night off. I`ve never missed a show. And you are just an incredible person. You just do you a great job. And I really appreciate --
GRACE: Thank you, Melissa in Florida.
MELISSA: Believe me. This is so unconscionable that these schools today are not certifying teachers. Anybody can go in and run these classrooms. This is a disgrace.
And my question is, how can they -- how will the state prosecute her as well if she`s not a certified teacher? And that child in the picture you`re showing, he didn`t even fight back at her. She`s got a -- her arms are out in such defense like she`s going to kill him.
GRACE: I know. The child is clearly afraid of her.
MELISSA: Clearly.
GRACE: The state can easily prosecute this. I don`t understand what`s taking them so long, Melissa in Florida. And as soon as we hear more about it, you`ll get an update right here. And I want to tell you how much I appreciate you being so loyal to us and tuning in every night. Please call us again.
Everyone, let`s stop and remember Marine Corporal Reynold Armand, 21, Rochester, New York, killed Iraq. Eager to join up, he persuaded family to sign papers allowing him to enlist before he was 18.
A New York Yankees fan, loved jokes, making others laugh, dreamed of being a firefighter. Leaves behind parents, Alma and Karl, Aunt Miriam, sisters, Ajani and Adeline, niece Priscilla.
Reynold Armand, American hero.
Thanks to our guests but especially to you and good night from Georgia friends, Adrian, Kathy, Jean and Anna.
May 16 Espanol CNN. Special program on handicapped children including the story of Sensory Therafun.
Everyone, I`ll see you tomorrow night 8:00 sharp Eastern, and until then, good night, friend.
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