The first day back at school has barely begun when the police show up looking for a murder suspect. A botched robbery has gone down a few blocks away and the panicked assailant, wearing a Winslow High letterman's jacket, shot and killed a man before heading towards school grounds.

The police think the suspect is a student who is hiding on campus and demand to begin the search at once. Meanwhile, oblivious to the tense situation, Lisa and Buttle decide to have sex in the deserted boiler room. Unfortunately, Riley and an officer stumble upon the couple during the investigation and catch them in the act. Riley agrees to keep quiet about the affair for now, but urges Buttle to break it off before he loses his job…or worse.

As the hunt continues, it becomes a code red condition, locking both teachers and students in their classrooms. Eventually, Lauren realizes that a pupil in her class might be the suspect but before she can take action, the desperate student whips out his gun and takes La

As Senate approaches the school grounds, he saves a student from being attacked by gang members. After numerous attempts, Harry finally manages to get the boy to reveal that he is a member of the Crips and is attempting to leave the group because he killed a rival gang member.

However, Senate is unable to help because he gave his word that he wouldn't discuss the situation with the authorities. Prevented from taking action, he reluctantly hides the truth from Lauren, his co-workers and the police.

Meanwhile, Harper grows even more suspicious about Lisa and Buttle's deepening friendship, so Guber takes the reins and alerts Lisa's parents about their daughter's rumored affair. Thoroughly panicked, Milton tries to break it off, but Lisa pushes him to have sex one last time and her father catches them in the act.

Buttle is immediately fired and the news rocks the halls of Winslow High. But when Riley attempts to soften the blow for Milton, Guber fires him as well for withholding informatio

Lauren finds Harry hasn't told his friend about her. Six teachers resign and Marla must teach a class she doesn't know how to. Scott wins a contest to be a guest conductor and asks Marilyn out when she is too nice to him. Steven and Harry look for a missing teacher.

Security tapes of the girls' shower room are missing... with footage of Lauren on them. Marla sends her entire class to the principal's office. Anthony's hit list is found. Lauren and Harry break up.

A student's mother complains about bus fumes to Steven. The tape of Lauren showering ends up on Sheryl Holt's webpage. Harry gets in trouble for knowing Tyronn was a murderer. Scott becomes Lisa Grier's co-teacher for her Shakespearre class.

While heading to work, Lauren's car breaks downs. She gets so frustrated with it that she starts jumping up and down on it and smashing the windows with a baseball bat. Suddenly, an old student of hers appears named Daniel Evans who thanks her for changing his life. He shows her a history text book he has written and she is very impressed. He asks her out for a drink, and she immediately says yes. After, they head to her place and have a night of passion. The next day she tells Marilyn, who finds it a little immoral. Lauren cannot get past how great the sex was. Lauren admits she finds it a total turn on when Daniel calls her Ms. Davis.

Marilyn is dealing with a boy named Jeremy who throws up after an anxiety attack related to his mom not being able to accept his mark of a B+. He goes to the nurse, where Marilyn notices a huge bruise on him. He says he got it playing basketball. When Jeremy's mom shows up, she says he must of got it on his scooter. Marilyn suspects abuse.

Steven's remarks prevent Scott from getting a job as a headmaster. Lauren finds out Daniel is stalking her. Marla worries when a convicted sex offender asks a younger girl to the senior prom. Marilyn suspects Jeremy has done something to his mother.

Harper's headstrong daughter Brooke enrolls at Winslow High after she is kicked out of private school. Meanwhile, when Ronnie is disappointed that her class is not learning Shakespeare, her ex-suitor Matthew Baskin, who continues to pursue her, offers a unique way to reach her and her students.

A statutory-rape case entangles Ronnie with the enraged parents of the 15-year-old victim; an illicit-drug situation embroils Harper with his unsettled daughter

Tidings of comfort and joy gladden this Christmas episode, which, true to the series, also has its share of heartaches and crises. The main storyline centers on the holiday hopes of principal Harper's teenage daughter, Brooke, who's anxious for a reconciliation between her divorced mom and dad. In other developments, Guber and Mrs. Peters shop together for a special Christmas present; Marylin, Marla and Louisa form a musical trio at the school pageant; and Senate gets caught up in the plight of a sensitive youth who he thinks may be suicidal.

A revelation concerning Jeremy fractures the relationship between his mother and Guber; a plea from a death-row inmate troubles Harper; a student's ADD affliction disquiets Ronnie.

Tensions escalate among Meredith, Jeremy and Guber, who seek family counseling; controversy swirls around a student's class-project photo and a speech by Lipschultz.

Controversy swirls at Winslow over a reviled racial epithet, which becomes a heated subject of debate in a class taught by the provocative Danny Hanson, who fans the flames by alleging a double standard. ""Clearly,"" he tells his students, ""people seem OK with Chris Rock using the word...But if Garry Shandling did...you'd all be sick."" Word gets to Harper, who calls upon Hanson to cease the discussion because ""the word stirs up too much hate."" But when the teacher persists, the principal trumps him. ""Do you think you understand n----r, Danny? Do you think you really get it?""

Mikki, an 18-year-old Winslow student, tricks Harper and the administration into allowing Barely 18, a racy Maxim-like magazine to come to the school to shoot provocative photos of her. Ronnie, who stumbles upon the shoot, pleads with Mikki not to pose for the magazine, saying it is a decision she will regret for the rest of her life. Ronnie confides in Mikki that she was approached in college to pose for a pictorial, but thankfully decided against it. Later, Ronnie reveals to Senate that she actually went through with the shoot, but the photos were never published. Ronnie and Senate share a moment, but nothing materializes from it. Meanwhile, back at school, a student approaches Guber with information that Meredith hit her with her prosthesis during an argument. After some investigating, Guber reluctantly admits that he believes the student and fires Meredith. As a result, Guber and Meredith's relationship seems to be terminated as well. Also at the school, one of Lauren's students ha

Staff and students at Winslow High struggle to get on with their lives after a number of tragic events.

A new year arrives at Winslow High and new tensions immediately arise. Brooke is caught in the middle when a group of students plan a walkout because the administration has been unable to handle crucial issues such as toxic mold in the bathrooms and overcrowded classrooms.

Harper and Guber try to talk to the students, but the students see it as another weak attempt to appease them. And when the students stage the walkout, a riot quickly ensues.

Meanwhile, Marla finds a newborn baby in the toilet and discovers that her student Amy had just given birth and left the baby in the bathroom. Amy insists that she wanted her baby and was coming back to get her. Marla rationalizes that Amy was in shock and was coming back immediately. To protect Amy, Marla tells the police that her baby was on the floor. This prompts Danny, who is highly suspicious, to tell Harper and Guber, who are then forced to notify the authorities that evening.

Senate runs into his student, Trina, while taking a drive in R

Temporary synopsis from TV Guide:

Harsh echoes resound from the student riot; the Danny-Marla confrontations lead to racist allegations against her; a drug deal entraps one of Guber's prized pupils.

Senate's erratic behavior rattles Ronnie and prompts a telling showdown with Harper; pupil misconduct provokes a new teacher, whose youth belies grit.

A teen's pregnancy sensitizes Guber; a gang slaying deeply affects Kimberly and her prize student; romantic liaisons have differing impacts on Ronnie and Hanson.

Anxiety besets Winslow staffers, scrutinized by the mayor's spy; a teacher's sex scandal is grist for the mill of student TV-journalists; boyfriend-related tensions affect school-musical star Aisha.