>>>
>>> LAST
>>> LAST YEAR OVER 100 GYMNASTS STOOD AGAINST THEIR PERPETRATE,
LARRY NASSAR.
LARRY NASSAR. .
.
. >>
. >> THE
. >> THE JUDGE UNSWAYED
ADMONISHED LARRY NASSAR IN
COURT THURSDAY.
COURT THURSDAY. >> YOU MAY FIND IT HARSH THAT
YOU'RE HERE LISTENING BUT
NOTHING IS AS HARSH AS WHAT
YOUR VICTIMS ENDURED FOR
THOUSANDS OF HOURS AT YOUR
HANDS.
HANDS.
HANDS. COLLECTIVELY, YOU SPENT
THOUSANDS OF HOURS PERPETRATE
PERPETRATING CRIMINAL SEXUAL
CONDUCT ON MINORS.
SPENDING FOUR OR FIVE DAYS
LISTENING TO THEM IS
SIGNIFICANTLY MINOR CONSIDERING
THE HOURS OF PLEASURE YOU HAD
AT THEIR EXPENSE AND RUINING
THEIR LIVES.
THEIR LIVES. >> SINCE THEN, THE JUDGE HAS
MADE IT HER MISSION TO GIVE
VOICES TO SURVIVORS AND HAS
BECOME A PILLAR OF STRENGTH FOR
THE ME TOO MOVEMENT, PLEASE
WELCOME JUDGE ACOLINA TO GREAT
DAY HOUSTON.
DAY HOUSTON. >> THANK YOU.
[ CHEERING AND APPLAUSE ]
.
. >>
. >> YOU
. >> YOU KNOW WHERE YOU ARE.
I WANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU CAME
FROM.
FROM.
FROM. WERE YOU THAT LITTLE GIRL WHO
WAS ALWAYS FEISTY?
THE ONE THAT WOULDN'T SIT DOWN
IN THE FACE OF ADVERSITY.
>> YES, FOR MY WHOLE LIFE, I
WANT TO KNOW WHY, I WANT TO
KNOW IF SOMETHING IS GOING ON,
WY DID THE BOYS GET TO DO IT
AND NOT ME?
I MAKE IT MY MISSION TO MAKE
SURE THAT EVERYONE GETS A SEAT
AT THE TABLE AND EVERYONE GETS
TO PLAY WITH THE TOYS AND
EVERYONE HAS A VOICE.
THAT'S ME INCLUDED AND IT
STARTS WITH ME.
ACTIONS START WITH ME.
>> YEAH, WHEN YOU'RE A LITTLE
GIRL COMPLETE THIS PHRASE,
"WHEN I GROW I WANT TO BE".
>> I WANT TO BE SOMEONE WHO
MADE A DIFFERENCE FOR MY
CHILDREN AND ALL OF OUR
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN.
CHILDREN. >> A LOT OF TIMES AS YOUNG
GIRLS WE DIDN'T SEE OURSELVES
AS LAWYERS LET ALONE AS JUDGES.
BUT YOU HAD THAT AGAIN THAT
FEISTINESS IN YOU TO BEGIN WITH
AND YOUR DAD INSTILLEDTHAT IN
YOU.
YOU.
YOU. >>
YOU. >> MY DAD IS A DOCTOR AND I
WANTED TO BE A WRITER.
I'M A PUBLISHED AUTHOR BUT IT
TOOK ME YEARS AND WHEN I SAID
I'M GOING TO COLLEGE FOR THAT
HE SAID HOW WILL YOU SUPPORT
YURS?
YURS?
YURS? AND
YURS? AND I SAID FINE, I WILL BE A
LAWYER.
LAWYER.
LAWYER. DOCTORS HATE LAWYERS OVERALL
AND IT SERVED ME WELL BUT IT
WAS ME HAVING MY VOICE AND
SAYING YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
CONTROL ME.
CONTROL ME. I HAVE CONTROL OVER MY DESTINY
AND IT'S BEEN THAT WAY MY WHOLE
LIFE.
LIFE.
LIFE. >>
LIFE. >> THERE ARE TIMES WHEN YOU
FACE SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND YOU
HAVE SEEN THAT.
YOU KNEW THAT YOU WERE BEING
PUT IN A CERTAIN PLACE BECAUSE
YOU WERE A WOMAN.
WHAT WERE THE EXAMPLES?
>> I SERVED 20 YEARS IN THE
MILITARY AND LOVED IT AND ONCE
I WORE THE UNIFORM, I WAS
TREATED EQUAL.
TREATED EQUAL. BUT PRIOR TO THAT I WAS THE
FIRST FEMALE WHO HAD APPLIED
FOR AND HAD BEEN ACCEPTED TO BE
A JAG OFFICER.
>> AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW THAT AT
THE TIME.
THE TIME.
THE TIME. >> I DID NOT KNOW THAT.
MY APPLICATION SAT AND I
THOUGHT WHAT IS GOING ON.
SO I PUT ON MY TITUS JEANS AND
MY COWBOY BOOTS AND I SAID THEY
CANNOT.
CANNOT.
CANNOT. >> STOP THERE, YOU PUT ON YOUR
TIGHT JEANS, WHAT ARE YOU DOING
THERE IN FRONT OF THE MEN?
>> FOR ME, IT WAS NOT A SIGN OF
TAKE ME NOW, IT WAS A SIGN OF
TWO CAN PLAY AT YOUR GAME AND
I'M GOING TO WIN.
IT WAS MY SIGN OF POWER.
[ APPLAUSE ]
0.
0. >>
0. >> NO
0. >> NO MATTER WHAT YOU'RE
WEARING, IT DOESN'T DEFINE WHO
YOU ARE.
YOU ARE.
YOU ARE. >> YES, I ENDED UP IN THE SAME
PLACE WHERE THE GENERAL HAD
COFFEE AND HAD A CONVERSATION
WITH HIM AND TOLD HIM I WAS
VOLUNTEERING AND BY THE TIME I
WENT TO THE SECOND FLOOR, HE
WAS ON THE FLOOR SCREAMING AT
MY COMMANDER SAYING WHY IS THAT
GIRL HERE AND HE SAID I CAN'T
TURN DOWN HER VOLUNTEER WORK
AND HER PAPERWORK IS STUCK ON
THE DESK AND MY COMMANDER HELD
UP THE PHONE AND SAID GET THE
GIRL IN A UNIFORM.
A MONTH LATER I WAS SWORN IN
AND THE GENERAL SAID THE ONLY
THING THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN
BETTER IF YOU WERE AFRICAN
AMERICAN.
AMERICAN.
AMERICAN. WHICH WAS INSULTING BUT I JUST
SMILED.
SMILED.
SMILED. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO JUST
SMILE AND SAY YOU I'M MAKING A
DIFFERENCE, I DON'T CARE WHAT
YOUR WORDS ARE.
I'M FIGHTING AGAINST THEM.
I BECAME THE MOST REQUESTED
JAG.
JAG.
JAG. >>
JAG. >> WOW, OKAY [ APPLAUSE ]
>> YOU EARNED THE NAME
BARRACUDA ACOLINA AND IF YOU
WERE A GUY, WOULD YOU HAVE
GOTTEN THAT OR HE'S JUST A GO
GETTER AND AWESOME.
>> YOU'RE RIGHT.
I WOULD NOT HAVE.
THEY USED TO SAY WE'RE GOING TO
PUT YOU IN HIGH HEEL BOOTS AND
THESE THINGS.
THESE THINGS. I WOULD CROSS EXAM COMMANDERS
AND YOU WOULD SEE GROWN MEN
KNUCKLES TURNING WHITE AND I
WOULD WIN MY CASES AGAINST THE
HIGHER UP.
HIGHER UP. I GOT THE NICKNAME A MAN WOULD
NOT HAVE.
NOT HAVE.
NOT HAVE. OF COURSE I HAD AND KNOW OTHER
NOT SO NICE NAMES BUT I DON'T
CARE BECUSE EVEN THE GENERALS
WOULD REQUEST ME TO REPRESENT
THEM.
THEM.
THEM. AS
THEM. AS WOMEN WE HAVE TO PROVE
OURSELVES BUT YOU CAN ONLY 3
PROVE YOURSELF IF YOU KEEP YOUR
POWER.
POWER.
POWER. DON'T EVER GIVE IT AWAY.
I CHOOSE NEVER TO GIVE IT AWAY.
I'M GOING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
AND GO AGAINST THE TIDE AND
MAYBE I'LL DROWN BUT SO FAR, I
HAVE SWAM.
HAVE SWAM. >> OKAY, THE LARRY NASSAR CASE.
TAKE US BEHIND THE SCENES.
.
. >>
. >> I
. >> I GOT IT RANDOMLY AFTER THE
PRELIMINARY EXAM.
PRELIMINARY EXAM. IT WAS RANDOM AND THEN WE
STARTED THE PROCESS.
I DIDN'T KNOW A LOT ABOUT HIM.
I HAD NEVER MET HIM.
I'M NOT SOMEONE WHO HAS THE
TIME TO WATCH THE OLYMPICS SO I
PREPARED FOR A JURY TRIAL.
THEY TOLD ME THEY WERE EXPERTS
AND HE HAD A DEFENSE.
I THOUGHT MY DAD AND BROTHERS
ARE DOCTORS, MAYBE SOMETHING
NEW.
NEW.
NEW. SO
NEW. SO I
NEW. SO I PROCEEDED TO TRIAL AND
ALWAYS BELIEVING THAT HE HAD A
DEFENSE BECAUSE I'M IMPARTIAL
AND THE GIRLS HATED ME BECAUSE
I HAD TO PUT A GAG ORDER
BECAUSE PEOPLE WERE TALKING.
I NEEDED TO GET A FAIR AND
IMPARTIAL JURY SO I PUT A GAG
ORDER WHICH MEANS THEY COULD
NOT TALK.
NOT TALK.
NOT TALK. I ORDERED 800 JURORS, 200 HAD
ALREADY BEEN SENT OUT BECAUSE
WE'RE GOING TO DO THEM IN
BATCHES AND THERE WAS A SPECIAL
PROCESS BECAUSE WE HAD TO FIND
A CLEAN JURY.
AS I WAS DOING THAT, THE
ATTORNEYS ASKED ME FOR A DELAY
AND I SAID NO, I DON'T CARE.
THEY SAID HE WILL BE SENTENCE
ND FEDERAL COURT AND I SAID NO,
NO ONE MESSES WITH MY DOCKET.
THE DAY BEFORE THANKSGIVING HE
DECIDED TO PLEAD AND THEN HIS
ATTORNEYS WERE SUPPOSED TO
QESTION HIM AND MAKE THE
FACTUAL BASIS.
FACTUAL BASIS. THEY DIDN'T GO FAR ENOUGH.
I CONTINUED AND ASKED HIM IF HE
HAD DONE THIS FOR HIS OWN
SEXUAL PLEASURE.
SEXUAL PLEASURE. HE HESITATED BUT HE FINALLY DID
ADMIT TO THAT.
I SET UP THE COURTROOM KNOWING
THERE WERE MANY GIRLS WHO WERE
GOING TO TESTIFY AND I SAID,
BECAUSE THIS IS MY PRACTICE FOR
15 YEARS TO LET EVERYBODY,
VICTIM ISN'T DEFINED BY JUST
THE PERSON INJURED.
THERE'S A RIPPLING EFFECT.
THE FAMILIES, THE PARENTS, THE
CHILDREN, WHOEVER IS INVOLVED
IS ALSO INJURED SO I LET
EVERYBODY TALK.
EVERYBODY TALK. I ANNOUNCED EVERYBODY COULD
TALK AND AT FIRST WE HAD ABOUT
30 OR 40 WHO WERE GOING TO TALK
AND THE GIRLS EMPOWERED EACH
OTHER.
OTHER.
OTHER. >>
OTHER. >> HOW THEIR PUTIC WAS THAT FOR
THE GIRLS TO STAND UP AND SAY
THIS WAS DONE TO ME BUT DOES
NOT DEFINE ME.
>> IT'S ABC LAWSUITLY NECESSAY
AND I MADE IT SO THAT HE WOULD
BE FACING THEM SO THEY WOULDN'T
IN THE NORMAL COURSE, THEY TURN
BACK LOOKING AT THE DEFENDANT,
WHICH IS NOT.
YOU NEED TO LOOK AT THE EYES.
I HAD HIM SIT NEXT TO ME FOR
HIS SAFETY.
HIS SAFETY. I HAD A LOT OF SAFETY THINGS IN
PLACE.
PLACE.
PLACE. THEY CAME UP TO THE PODIUM AND
THEY WERE VERY SMALL AND JUST
UNSURE AND THEY SAID JUDGE, I
JUST WANT TO ADDRESS HIM FIRST.
ABSOLUTELY AND THEY WOULD TURN
TO HIM AND WITH EACH WORD THEY
GOT STRONGER AND STRONGER AND
BIGGER AND BOLDER.
>> AND THEN A MOVEMENT WAS
CREATED.
CREATED.
CREATED. >> I TALK TO THIM AND TRIED TO
INSPIRE SOMETHING IN THEM.
ONE OF THEM JUST SAID JUDGE,
THIS HAS CHALLENGED ME TO FIND
MY VOICE AND SING AGAIN SO SHE
WROTE A SONG.
THEY GOT TEN FEET TALL AND
PEOPLE SAID TO ME, HOW COULD
YOU HAVE DONE THAT FOR 156
GIRLS, I LISTENED TO 169 GIRLS
OVERALL.
OVERALL.
OVERALL. LET ME JUST TELL YOU.
FOR THOSE MOMS OUT THERE AND
FOR ANYBODY WHO KNOWS ABOUT
CHILD BIRTH, FOR ME WHEN YOU GO
THROUGH THE PAIN OF LABOR AND
YOU'RE HANDED THE BABY, YOU
FORGET THE PAIN.
I GOT A GIFT OF 156 BABIES AND
THEY MORPHED INTO POWER HOUSES
AND WARRIORS AND I FELT THEM
GROW GROW IN THAT STRENGTH AND
I WAS HANDED THAT NEW BABY AND
THAT GAVE ME THE POWER AND
STRENGTH TO LISTEN TO THE NEXT
ONE.
ONE.
ONE. I
ONE. I NEVER FELT TIRED AND DIDN'T
LOSE STRENGTH.
LOSE STRENGTH. THEY WERE THE STRENGTH.
>> THIS IS A MOVEMENT THAT
CAN'T GO AWAY.
AND WE HAVE SEEN VERSIONS OVER
THE YEARS BUT THE LESSON TO BE
LEARNED HERE, THERE'S ALWAYS A
NEW TWIST ON A LESSON, WHAT WAS
SO CRAZY WAS THAT YOU HAD
PARENTS OFTEN TIMES IN THE
DOCTOR'S OFFICE WITH HIM AND I
THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT HE HAD, THAT HE WAS
GETTING OFF ON.
>> HE GROOMED EVERYBODY.
.
.
. >>
. >> THE
. >> THE LESSON TO BE LEARNED
HERE, WE FALL UNDER THE SPELL
THAT IF IT'S A PROFESSIONAL AND
THEY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
MONEY THEY WOULD NEVER DO THIS.
IT'S THROUGH ALL WALKS OF
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY.
SOCIETY. >> ALL WALKS, ALL LOOKS AND THE
SAFEST PERSON MIGHT BE THE MOST
DANGEROUS PERSON AND WE HAVE A
RIGHT TO INFORMED CONSENT.
BABIES WHEN THEY LEARN TO
SPEAK, USUALLY MOM AND DAD AND
NO IS THIS THEIR FIRST.
WE CAN TEACH THEM ABOUT WORDS
LIKE VA JA NA AND PE NUS, YOU
HAVE A RIGHT TO SAY NO AND WHY
AND QUESTION.
AND QUESTION. WE NEED A NEW GENERATION OF
QUESTIONING ADULTS.
QUESTIONING ADULTS. WE NEED TO NOT TEACH THEM IT'S
OKAY TO SIT ON SANTA'S LAP.
IF THEY'RE NOT COMFORTABLE,
DON'T MAKE THEM DO IT.
IT'S OKAY TO QUESTION YOUR
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR.
DOCTOR. >> SO MANY TIMES WE'LL TALK TO
SOMEONE SEXUALLY ABUSED AND
THEY SAY IN THE BEGINNING I
KNEW SOMETHING WAS NOT RIGHT
BUT I DIDN'T FEEL LIKE I COULD
SAY ANYTHING.
SAY ANYTHING. AND TO YOUR POINT OF TEACHING
KIDS EARLY.
KIDS EARLY. MY SON CAME HOME FROM DAYCARE
AND HE SAID NO, GET AWAY FROM
MY NO-NO PLACE.
YOU ALSO HAVE TO HAVE
CONVERSATIONS BECAUSE HE WASN'T
SURE WHY HE WAS SAYING THAT.
THEY WERE JUST TAUGHT THAT.
SO YOU HAVE TO HAVE A
CONVERSATION, AGE APPROPRIATE
OF COURSE BUT TO EMPOWER THEM
AND IF YOU EMPOWER THEM AT A
YOUNG AGE, LATER ON THAT STICKS
WITH THEM.
WITH THEM. I KNOW AS A YOUNG GIRL, THERE
WAS A CASE WHERE A MAN IN A
TRUCK TRIED TO ABDUCT ME.
I GOT AWAY AND I KNOW THAT THAT
SITUATION ALSO STUCK WITH ME
LATER ON IN LIFE.
FOR EXAMPLE, MY FIRST NEWS
DIRECTOR INTERVIEW I DID.
HE LOOKED AT ME AND SAID YOU
KNOW HOW YOU CAN GET THIS JOB
AND I SAID BY BEING GOOD AT
WHAT I DO AND HE SAID NO THIS
IS WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO
DO AND I BUSTED OUT LAUGHING
AND SAID MY DAD LOOKS BETTER
THAN YOU AND HE'S MUCH OLDER
THAN BOTH OF US.
A LOT OF TIMES WOMEN DON'T HAVE
THAT CONFIDENCE AND THEY'RE PUT
IN A POSITION WHERE THEY'RE
LOKING AT PUTTING FOOD ON THE
TABLE.
TABLE.
TABLE. BUT NOW WE CAN STAND UP.
>> WE NEED TO BELIEVE AND NOT
SHAME OR BLAME AND NOT SHUT
ANYBODY OUT OR SHUT ANYBODY UP.
WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL HOW WE'RE
QUESTIONING AND THAT WE'RE
ACTUALLY LISTENING, HEARING AND
TAKING ACTION.
TAKING ACTION. THE ABC'S NEED TO BE ACTION,
BELIEVE, AND CHANGE.
NOT WRITING ARITHMETIC AND
THOSE THINGS GETTING BACK TO
BASICS.
BASICS.
BASICS. >> WE ARE HUMANS AND BELIEVE,
TAKE ACTION.
TAKE ACTION. >> ALL RIGHT, WE'LL BE RIGHT
BACK WITH MORE.
PLUS, HOW ONE LOCAL
ORGANIZATION, THE HOUSTON
AREA'S WOMEN'S CENTER IS
HELPING VICTIMS OF SEXUAL ABUSE
IN HOUSTON.