Hatred, drugs and violence dominate the tough everyday life of the run-down Parkmont High School. Completely unprepared, the ex-elite soldier Lou Anne Johnson starts her first job as an English teacher here. A wall of silence and rejection stands between her and the students. But slowly she wins the trust of the kids with her unconventional methods. But not only her superiors, but also her parents do not like her idiosyncratic parenting style. When a brutal act of violence occurs, events come thick and fast....