American Crime (2015) s02e04 Episode Script

1 Ms.
Blaine, we're suspending Taylor from school.
There were pictures posted of your son which were outside the code.
There was a party.
It was for the basketball team.
He was really messed up.
I think someone did something to me.
A student is claiming to have been assaulted.
By one of my players? Don't think your kids are above mistakes.
We have to make it clear we take this matter seriously.
911.
What's your emergency? I want to report a rape.
That little bitch said something.
- It's nothing.
- Well, it's nothing for you.
They're not doing anything to you.
Do you know what they are saying about him online? Kevin's 18.
They can print his name.
We're in debt because of that school, and for what? Eric's grades are good.
He's been different ever since he started going there.
You said that thing in the paper would help.
They're going online, they're saying stuff.
I don't want to go to Leyland anymore.
I want to go back to Marshall.
The testing's come back from Taylor Blaine's clothes.
We're officially looking at this as a rape.
To the journalist who asked me if I was sure that I was raped I mean really sure You're right.
I don't remember what my rapist was wearing.
I don't remember how much I had to drink.
I don't remember what time it was, how long it lasted, or how he held me.
I do remember that the word "rape" never felt like it belonged to me in the first place Or after the responding officers rolled their eyes or after you asked me if I was sure that a man could be raped.
I mean really raped.
I'm sure that I remember it feeling like every room of my home being broken into at the same time.
I'm sure that I had to start speaking in metaphor for you to start listening.
I'm sure that man and woman is not all a body can be.
I'm sure it does not matter.
It does not matter.
Remember how I told you that it felt like every room of my home being broken into at the same time.
Remember how busy you were trying to figure out how they got in that you forgot all about the person living there.
Light damage to sphincter area, lacerations around anus - You don't need to keep going.
- Blood and semen on his underpants.
They found someone else's semen on that boy's clothes.
I warned you something happened, but you were so certain Th-that doesn't prove anything happened.
Nothing? If that was your daughter Don't talk about my daughter.
And they found evidence on her clothes Don't be defensive.
I'm not accusing you.
I'm asking you to face the reality of the situation.
Either your whole team is deceiving you, or one person is deceiving that whole team.
If they don't respect you enough to t They respect me.
They lied to you.
This is the truth.
The truth is winning.
The police want DNA samples from the team.
If they can't get them willingly, they'll make arrests and file charges.
You really want to see these kids paraded in front of cameras in handcuffs? Who did this? We need to give the police a name.
Any name? Don't get petty.
Well, don't you get righteous.
We need to take a minute and figure out the best opportunity to give these boys a chance to explain what really happened.
They've had it.
Being sentimental, trying to be their friend That's done what? They need to understand we have the capacity to manage this.
Y-you you and the board You're You're over here, away from everybody else, all right? And you want us to go take the hill, and whatever happens happens.
We're asking you to do what needs to be done to take care of everyone.
We can't do that if people aren't acting in concert.
Do you understand that? Nobody is trying to hurt your boys.
We're trying to put them in a position where we can use the resources we have to protect them.
So you need to explain to them this is it, or not only will we not protect them We will put them front and center.
If that's what it takes to stop the bleeding, that's what it takes.
You lied.
You lied to me.
This captains' party You all you You looked me in the eyes, and you swore nothing happened.
Something happened at that party.
The police have got semen on this kid.
They've got blood.
And I told you that you could come to me, and I would help.
I told you that, and what do you do? You turn around All of you turn around, and you make me look stupid.
You make me look stupid, and you make everybody else look guilty.
The police are gonna start making arrests.
They're gonna start taking samples.
And you think the people who run this school care about you? They're gonna cut you loose.
And when they do, I can't help you.
One of y'all better say something.
I got college next year.
I ain't finna to let none of y'all mess that up.
Maybe you need to talk.
- I'm sorry.
What? - Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah, somebody skeetin' on that boy.
I know it wasn't me.
Well, I know it wasn't me.
Hey! Hey! Sit down! Sit down! Wes, sit your ass down! You got something to say, say it.
Warrants are coming.
You think any of you know how bad this is? I'm telling you right now.
You think it was ugly before? This is where some hell begins.
He just showed up here, but he's not saying much, just something about that party and the police.
- They want to talk to him.
- Why do the police want to talk to Eric? Well, not just him The whole team.
Should we let him? I don't know.
Well, should we Wh-wh-what do we do? I need to ask around, find out what other families are doing, maybe get a lawyer.
How are we gonna pay for a lawyer? I'll figure something out.
I'll take him home.
Drop him at my place.
I'll take him home.
Would you just give him some space to think? Just take him to my place.
Hey.
Come on.
Let's go.
First thing that the police are going to try to do is secure warrants.
They'll collect the buccal swabs, and then, most likely, the prosecutor will go public with his investigation.
So, the papers and these bloggers They're gonna just keep writing things about Kevin? That needs to stop.
We have to get in front of this.
C-can we get Kevin to do a polygraph test? Can we put that out there? Just give them the sample.
I wouldn't have Kevin offer up any evidence.
Unfortunately, that can come back on him.
If I was going to offer up any advice, you want to position Kevin as being able to corroborate any charges the police may bring against anyone else.
You want Kevin to snitch.
I want to keep Kevin out of jail.
If he needs to make a statement, he'll make it.
Do it.
Set it up.
My son, Taylor the The reason he's coming back to Marshall Why he he wants to come back There were, uh, some challenges at his other school.
Academic challenges? It just It just wasn't a good fit.
He didn't fit in.
There there there was some bullying and, uh, some other challenges.
Other challenges? You're asking me to help your son.
I can't do that if I don't know his situation.
He was assaulted.
It was at a party.
There was, uh, pictures and some online bullying.
That was your son in that article? I just want to know that he'll be safe here.
I can have Taylor meet with our school counselor, Mrs.
Murray.
She can help him get situated.
But if he has problems, he's going to have to be active in trying to get them resolved.
You see, he's always been quiet.
He doesn't He doesn't like to talk.
Boys his age never do.
Look, I know some people at Leyland.
I can check out his situation, but I've got over 2,000 students, 35 kids to a classroom.
It's hard for us to help these kids one-on-one.
Mm.
Okay.
I'll do what I can for your son, but he's got to bring his needs to us.
Come on.
I sit with the principal.
He tells me he's got 2,000 kids, can't look out for Taylor.
He'll be okay.
I thought going to that school would be such a good thing.
I wanted him to get into a good college.
I just messed up.
You know that's not true.
You know it.
Hey, you want to go up to Chicago next weekend? Yeah, we'll get a nice hotel room I mean like Sheraton nice Do some room service, mm, go to a spa.
I can't take off work.
I can't leave Taylor.
Nate could keep an eye on him.
Nate? Yeah? You want to keep an eye on Taylor? Sure.
Yeah.
I'd love to.
I-I can't leave him.
Leaving him brings up bad memories.
You know, you got to look out for you, too.
It would be good.
I would love if Taylor spent more time with Nate.
Yeah.
Of course.
It would be good, you know, for him to have a man around.
You regret not making it work out with Taylor's dad? This was the guy I was with him for a month.
He talks me into having sex with him without a condom.
Two weeks later, I'm I'm late on my period, peeing on a pregnancy stick.
All he says to me is, "you got to get rid of it.
" I mean, he kept saying "it.
" I mean, you know how I feel about that.
Yeah, I know.
Abortion's not how I was gonna solve things.
All I would have done different Was gotten with somebody who wanted to be a man.
Whenever Taylor's ready, sure.
We both miss him.
We'd love to be in his life a lot more.
I really appreciate you taking time to talk about Eric.
He's a good kid.
He's got a lot of opportunities.
If he keeps playing how he's been playing, I mean You called and said it was urgent that we should talk.
Eric showed up at my work.
He said that the police want to interview the team, get DNA.
Yeah, we're aware.
I was, uh I was thinking it might be in our best interest if our families came together on this.
"Our best interest"? Well, Eric and Kevin They're team captains.
They both threw the party.
They both threw the party, but Kevin's name is the only one that's being slandered right now.
Well, Eric was suspended from the team.
They've both you know they've both suffered.
This is really important.
Basketball is important to Eric to both of them.
I don't give a damn about basketball.
Kevin has a 3.
6 GPA, and he's going to NYU with or without basketball.
Only now, NYU and every other university can look online and see how my son, not yours our son Is involved with a sexual assault.
What do you think that does to his future? Every parent with a kid on that team Every other kid on that team is not our concern.
Can I be honest? I'm going through a divorce.
And money has been very tight.
Hello? Well, did you e-mail it? 'Cause we I haven't seen it.
Well, you need to send it again because we need to get it back before morning, and this is the third time you've told me I can't get a lawyer.
I don't have the money.
And I don't want Eric to suffer because I can't I can get you the names of some lawyers, but we've already consulted legal counsel.
Kevin will have his side of the story, and I think your son should have his.
I'm gonna make an appointment for us to go see the police.
You need to tell the detectives what you know.
I'm not talking to the cops.
Why not? 'Cause.
No.
Don't do that.
Why not? I got nothing to say to them.
Go in your room.
I don't have a room anymore.
I got to share with Go somewhere.
They're gonna start arresting people.
They're gonna start taking samples.
How come you won't say anything? - You trying to protect somebody on the team? - No.
Because nobody's trying to protect you.
They're looking out for themselves.
Those families, the whole school - I don't care about them.
- They're looking to blame somebody.
You think they're your friends? They're not.
You think they care about you? They don't.
That's not true, Dad.
I talked to Kevin's parents.
He's already got his story.
He's got lawyers.
All you have is me.
So tell me what's going on.
You don't get it.
Then help me do something for you.
You can't even fix what's going on with you and Mom.
Let's just get it over with.
We go to the station, we talk it out, and everything will be fine.
What do you think? That's never a good sign.
One of two things Either the play stinks, or I'm too stupid to get it.
It's not you.
I don't know.
Me and the arts have never been Can I tell you? You are gonna love this performance piece we are putting on It is so beautiful.
You're really going through with that? Going through with it? Why wouldn't we? Personally, I'd want things to settle down a little bit.
There's a lot the school is dealing with.
One has nothing to do with the other.
One affects the other.
Kids accused of raping another boy.
I deal with that every day.
Can we just That gala seems a little tone-deaf.
Accused.
No one's been charged.
No one may ever be.
Now you're deflecting.
I'm not deflecting.
I can complete your sentence.
And it's something about resigning or quitting or not finishing my work.
That school is a mess.
You can't fix everything with a deft response and an obsessive-compulsive nature.
And not every private institution is filled with entitled Who tease and bully a girl until she has a breakdown.
- Hey.
Hey.
- Ugh.
What about our arrangement? Or does that only apply when you want to be honest with me? What happened with your daughter That was stupid kids doing stupid things, but I talk to her.
I see how strong she is now.
I watched Deana get wrecked.
I stood there.
I stood there oblivious, like an idiot, until it was too late to do anything about it.
So I'm not saying nothing this time.
It's not the same.
I'm not gonna stand there and watch And watch you get torn up.
I'm sentimental, Leslie.
I shouldn't have to beg you to marry me.
Are you excited to be back at Marshall? I guess, yeah.
Principal Dixon said you had some problems over at Leyland? Yeah.
He said your mother had some concerns about you I don't really want to talk about this.
My mom she - Okay.
Okay.
Okay.
- She's dealing with a lot.
You don't have to talk about it, but if you ever want to, just know that there are I will.
Thank you.
Is there anything in particular you want to do this semester? Just get through it.
What about after that? Are you thinking about college? Nothing? I'm I'm just trying to go day by day right now.
Well, this is a fresh start.
This is an opportunity for you to focus on you and what you want to accomplish.
So, what do you want to accomplish? What's up, chica? Nothing.
What you doing later on? None of your business.
Well, I'm trying to see what vanillas taste like.
Ew.
Get off me! Hey, hold up! You good? Yeah.
Lil thuggie up on you? He's just talking trash.
About the police coming to see you? Mateo, it's cool.
Bitch got a mouth.
Just leave it alone.
So, there's nothing we can do to help out Eric? Like what? He's my boy, and I I know I threw that party, too.
This isn't about who threw the party.
Well, I just I don't want him to get in trouble because I just don't want him to get in trouble.
Let me tell you something.
That boy will always get a benefit of the doubt that you won't.
It's not like that.
Yeah? Young black men and the law That's all been worked out? It's not the same.
No, it's not the same because we're not gonna leave you for the police.
You get to go in there with a lawyer your father and I paid for.
You're the one who's always saying, "be a man.
Do the right thing.
" Do you know for certain that no one on that team touched that boy? Then doing the right thing is taking care of yourself because those other boys They're not gonna do anything for you.
"At about 9:00 P.
M Fred.
An event known as the Captains' party took place at the Grove, on 1629 Delancy.
During the party, somewhere between 10:00 P.
M.
and 1:00 A.
M.
, an incident which the police are now investigating took place.
While I have every intention of fully cooperating with the police in this matter, I personally was not a witness to the alleged assault.
At that time of the alleged assault, I was with a friend Valerie And we had self-segregated from the main body of the party.
Valerie can account of my whereabouts.
By the time we returned to the party, the accuser, who I have previously witnessed consuming alcohol, was passed out on the floor.
" "Members of the basketball team were surrounding the accuser, taking pictures.
Those pictures were later posted on social networks.
And I did not participate in the activity, and I tried the best I could to get them to cease their activities.
" "The accuser was helped from the space, and I have no knowledge of any other events.
" Anything you'd like to add? No.
That's it.
Back up, bitch! Shut it! Bitch-ass nigger! You just don't know when to shut it, do you? Come here.
That one down there is bleeding.
Take him to the nurse.
Come with me.
Huh? You want to keep running your mouth?! - Bitch is popping off.
- About what? About everything.
Boy's just got a big mouth.
Then I seen him rollin' up on Evy.
Evy Dominguez? He's been on her since the cops snatched her up out of class.
He wants to talk some stuff, I'm like, "cool, let's talk.
" You don't problem-solve by beating on some kid.
They're always saying smack.
Talking in accents, calling us spics, this and that.
That's not what I saw.
I saw you and two other boys beating on one kid.
Now, you have a problem with a student, you have to take it to a teacher, bring it to me Yeah.
Right.
Mateo, you do things how you do things, I can't do anything for you, so now you have a three-day suspension.
You have three days.
Cool off.
Think about things.
We're done.
Mateo is a dumb-ass.
He sees Tre clowning me, and then him and his boys jump him.
Stupid.
For real? Yeah, for real.
Guys be tusslin' over me.
Your mom working tonight? Yeah.
I'm-a come by, okay? Yeah, I guess.
OKay? Yeah.
Yeah, okay.
You need to act happy or something.
You glad you're back here? I'm glad you're back.
Hey.
What? What are you listening to? Music.
Duh.
Then don't act all stupid.
There was a fight at school today.
This black dude got stomped over some Mexican chick.
It was cray.
Are you even listening to me? Leave me alone.
Fine.
Pschew! Dude.
Give me the phone.
Aw.
Give me the phone.
No.
Give me the phone.
Get off of me.
Ohh.
- Give me the phone.
- No! - Give me - Stop! Give me the phone! Give it to me! Give it to me right now! Stop! Stop! Stop.
Why you been acting like such a little bitch? Everything! Everything what? Everything sucks! Mom and Dad suck.
School sucks.
Two years, you're gonna be gone.
I'm gonna be stuck with them and all their nonsense.
- You got basketball.
- You're so stupid.
They send you to the good school so you can go to a good college, leave my ass over at Marshall.
Got the blacks and the Mexicans trying to kill each other all day.
I got nothing here.
Let me tell you Soon as I'm 16, I'm out.
I'm-a get a car Don't care what kind.
I am out.
And go where? I don't know.
Anyplace is better than here.
Probably Miami.
It's got the best weather, palms trees, beaches, clubs.
Everybody hanging out all the time, drinking.
Ah, and the girls are fine as hell.
All 'em, like, J.
Lo-looking bitches and all talkin' like Rihanna.
You and me go down there, we'd be hittin' that all the time.
You should go Soon as you're 16.
Man, we should both go.
I can't.
My heart weighs heavy, so I look to the sky Can't believe politicians they sacrifice us for money can't believe television they chastise us, it's funny We all just smilin' faces in the devil's playground Never know which is which until you callin' our names Will you open pearly gates or send us down into flame Sold our soul for two key and a chain made of gold My heart weighs heavy, so I look to the sky Nobody droppin' knowledge on the youth no more Just livin' for the moment, no routes no more Can't hardly find the truth in the booth no more 'Cause being intelligent is no longer relevant We all just smilin' faces in the devil's playground Guess you'll have to make du with a I'm from the age of chop and screw, my I didn't understand what all they did.
Uh, I guess they said they had to give him some charcoal to pump out the drugs.
How how how is he? Uh, he's okay.
He's, uh, stable.
If his brother hadn't been there, then Yeah.
What happened? Uh I had some ativan.
My divorce has been really rough.
Hey, listen, that's all right.
You don't have to We all got stuff.
I've been working longer hours to make extra for the boys, and, you know, it's just, uh Eric is scared.
Yeah.
And there's nothing I can do for him.
Dan, did he do something he's not telling me? Hey.
Oh, no, no, no.
Stay.
It's all right.
Relax.
I'm okay.
Yeah.
You good? Yeah.
Yeah? How you feeling? Look, uh You know, I know that things are really, um Really scary right now.
They're scary for all of us.
And, uh, you know, whatever it is, y-y-you know, you could have talked to your dad.
You could have come to me.
Yeah, well, you know you can talk to me.
You suspended me, Coach.
You did that for nothing.
Now you want to act like we're supposed to be best friends? That last game, when I hit that buzzer beater It felt so good, everybody going crazy for me.
For one moment, everyone going crazy.
I messed up.
You messed up how? All I got is basketball.
You know, that's paying for school, for college.
Was that semen that they found yours? I can't lose this.
Did you assault that boy? He wanted it.
Oh, geez.
God, you sound like a rapist.
I didn't rape him.
He wanted it.
He wanted to hook up.
Me and Taylor He planned it.
He We were supposed to meet up that night.
He was texting me, e-mailing.
Everything's on my phone.
I-I wanted to give them to the police.
Well, why didn't you? You put everybody through this? I mean, why why didn't you say something? Then everyone would know I'm gay.
Then what? Then I'm done at basketball, I'm done at school, I'm screwed, so Some booze, some pills I'm not your problem anymore.
Hey.
Dan.
Hey, is is he okay? Did he Did he say anything? You got to talk to your boy.
- Becca.
- Hey.
I know that your mom and I can be hard on you.
- Yeah.
- Yeah, but, you know, that That's only because we love you.
You know that, right? Okay.
I mean, sometimes we don't say it enough.
Sometimes we don't tell you Is this gonna be one of those times where you tell me something I did when I was 5? If you ever got a problem, anything Are people saying stuff about me at school? No, th-this isn't about school.
Just, if you have anything, you can come to me, okay? Okay.
You know that, right? Yeah.
Okay.
Okay, Dad.
We know who it was who had sex with your son.
He admitted to it.
He confessed? Wh-who was it? Eric Tanner.
Th-that's the one that dropped Evy and Taylor off at the side of the road.
Did you arrest him? Are you aware that Taylor and this boy, Eric, knew each other before your son claimed he was assaulted? They went to the same school.
Can you take a look at these? What are they? Those are texts and e-mails your son and Eric exchanged before the party.
Um these these aren't real.
We've spoken to Eric's parents.
They've given us permission to access their cellular and Internet service providers.
Okay.
So? With that information, we'll be able to determine the authenticity of these exchanges.
I would really encourage you to have a conversation with your son.
If he's got something to say, now's the time to say it.
Feral mom cat figures out how to adopt kittens? You have a lot of adopted kittens.
There's a lot of adoption.
You pick.
Okay.
Oh, wow.
It lost its power.
Let's not.
Let's let's Let's give up on this.
Mnh.
- Hey, Mom.
- Hey, Ms.
Blaine.
Where's your phone? - What? - Go home.
Go home.
- She just got here.
- Where's your phone? What? What? Hey.
What's your password? What's your password? - Why? - Go home, Evy.
- But sh-she just got here.
- Go home! - What what are you doing? - What's your password? What's your password? What's going on? What are you doing? Why are you acting like this? Did you go there to have sex with him? Do you know about this? Have you been covering for him, walking around, acting like a couple, making me look like an idiot? I-I was defending you, and And you went there to have sex with him.
No.
Mom.
Mom? Mom.
"R u gentle?" "Only d-done it once, was gentle.
" "Top or bottom? You decide.
" "When I whack off, p-pillow over my head makes it better, hint, hint.
" Did you go there to have sex with him? I didn't I didn't go there to get attacked.
I No, no, Evy, um Evy.
Evy.
Evy! I don't I don't get it.
What did you do? I went to the school.
- What did you do? - I went to the police.
Why are you doing this? I-I-I kept telling you to leave it alone! Why are you doing this?! Why didn't you tell me the truth? What, did you think that I wouldn't Did you think that I would feel different? Did you think that I wouldn't love you because of the way you felt? Do you think that Do you really think that I can't love you? You left me.
You Well I was, um I wasn't good.
I needed help.
II know.
I left you with Nate and Patty because I didn't want to lose you.
I know.
I know.
I know how hard it was for you.
I didn't want to do that again.
The e-mails and the text messages help.
They obviously indicate that the intent was for a consensual act.
But, if at any time the victim withdrew consent, it is rape.
They prove that how? There was a party full of people.
If anybody heard anything Nobody said they did.
No, no one has said that under oath.
Then why do we even care? Our school is getting trashed in every news outlet, every landing page in Indiana.
It was a couple of gay boys off at a basketball party.
Those e-mails That's just deviant.
This is more than just an embarrassment.
This party was not sanctioned by the school, but it was advertised at the school.
There was also apparently a tradition called "Making the Team.
" Girls were expected to have sex with the players.
Over the years, this party has become somewhat of an orgy, and if the school was aware that this was an unsafe environment and did nothing about it, that is a problem.
Right now, "he said/he said," for lack of a better phrase That's the situation.
Without supporting statements that it was anything other than a consensual act, the case can't move forward.
We have to make certain no supporting statements exist.
Do we want to reach out to these families? Send an e-mail about our perspective No.
We don't want to e-mail people.
We don't want to e-mail them.
As your legal counsel, I don't think you want to do anything.
You you start directing traffic, you open yourselves up to collusion.
And so we should just hope that people believe the for-profit, private institution didn't conspire against the young man on financial aid who was constantly bullied even before people found out he was apparently gay? It's just It's naive to think this school is going to get an objective hearing.
This is the tipping point.
We can hope things fall the school's way, or we can make certain they do.
We have 520 children at this school 520.
They deserve better than the lies, the innuendo.
We have a young man in the hospital who tried to take his own life because this other young man refused to admit what he was involved in.
If you read these e-mails, they are a blueprint for a rough encounter.
That's the truth.
That's the truth people need to believe.