A recent shooting of an unarmed Black teen ignite emotionally charged tensions with several students during a single day at a well respected Magnet high school, resulting in a tragic end of day event...

SYNOPSIS:

A recent shooting of an unarmed Black teen named William Lloyd by police has the city in an uproar. With the officer in question likely to get off free and clear without any legal disciplinary action is causing several cries of injustice, as well as, several violent outbursts among the citizens in various neighborhoods. And the media is fueling the fire by portraying the teen as a 'thug' with several run ins with the law, and his death is likely the result of his own misconduct. This incident serves as a backdrop for the setting of this story and the catalyst for what is to occur during this day...

Wallace Magnet High School is a widely respected institution with one of the highest graduate success rates, which has gone undisputed for many years. Led by the principal in charge, ROBERT DEATS, it’s a record that is treasured and preserved by him. However, it seems his tenure may be catching up to him. He's been an educator for well over 25 years and it's become apparent to many that his biased attitude towards several groups of students suggest it may be time for him to step down. The pulse of the students are felt more by the assistant principal, ARTHUR KYLE. He has a very caring yet stern personality towards the kids, which often puts him at odds with principal Deats at times. One of those students is seventeen year old senior, as well as our main character, DWIGHT MAYBIN. He is laid back kid and very artistically talented. Unfortunately, he has not thought of any future plans with his life as far as college or career in the field of art or any other for that matter. Dwight’s attention span is on his longtime girlfriend, LYDIA LOPEZ. On this day, both Dwight and Lydia are at odds with each other. Lydia is two months pregnant and wants to keep the baby. Dwight, however, is pressuring Lydia to get an abortion.

Dwight's longtime friend, NATHANIEL BRICKEY has issues of his own as he shows up to school this day with very odd behavior. It is unknown what is causing this behavior, but it's clear that he is dealing with some personal demons. Nathaniel is also a senior, but his life seems to have no kind of direction. He has a child with an estranged girlfriend that he is not allowed to see. He once had a talent for art as well, but lost interest at it once he realized that college was an unlikely destination for him. He seems to have given up on life and would often distance himself and keep to himself. He may be on the verge of a mental breakdown, unbeknownst to his peers.

On her first day teaching, EVELYN PIERSON hopes to make a memorable first impression. She forms a likely bond on her first day with Arthur, with a strong yet professional attraction.

Often causing a lot of the fusion among his peers is the firecracker student, LUCIOUS LAFAYETTE. His racially charged commentary often put him at odds with the White students and with the ongoing violence against Black youth from city police, his views are more poignant and more vile than ever as he presses various emotional buttons to get his point across. He often comes to clash with one of those White students, SCOTT FOLEY, as their on going racial feud erupts periodically throughout the day. Their views echo what has racially divided the city among the Black citizens who feel their lives are targets for the city police with no kind of protection, and the White citizens who feel the police are justified in their actions and "these dangerous Black thugs should learn to respect the law and stop whining."

With the city on edge from the William Lloyd killing as well as countless other shootings around the country of young Black youth by police, the potential for violence may escalate with some of the students at Wallace Magnet. Although the outside situations going on has never been a concerned for Dwight, by the end of the day, he becomes embroiled in a deadly situation when the violence boils over and hits close to home for him. When the body of a White female student is unexpectedly discovered, the situation becomes chaotic. Lydia is ultimately attacked during this chaos, causing Dwight to go into a panic in trying to find his pregnant girlfriend within the large school. But when the police are called in with the report of the dead White student, the situation goes from bad to worse. The authorities storm in with guns blazing and trigger fingers very itchy and Dwight unwillingly finds himself face to face with the possibility of becoming another 'faceless thug victim' of police gunfire.

By days end, the tragedy that ensues will engulf the the school and the city in a new turmoil. Things will never be the same. For all involved, a very harsh lesson in this school is about to be taught. The lesson of Hard Knox.