Because They’re Young

Novice history teacher Neil Hendry arrives for his first assignment and is escorted to his classroom by secretary Joan Dietrich. Principal Donlan cautions him to stay out of students' personal problems. In the first day, Neil meets a group of students—Buddy, Anne, Ricky, and Griff—and quickly faces the social undercurrents of the school.

Neil discovers his nine-year-old nephew Eric is living with him and learns the boy's parents died in a car accident on the day they planned to attend his football game. Eric shows Neil a scrapbook of his football victories, a memory Neil had kept. Neil apologizes to Eric for his earlier reaction and vows to look after him.

Despite his aversion to football, Neil takes Eric to a game and explains the accident that shaped his life. He describes trying to emulate his brother, a principled principal, even as he wrestles with his own limits. The outing deepens the bond between uncle and nephew.

Neil keeps Buddy after school to tutor him in history and learns about Buddy's need for an athletic scholarship. Buddy explains how his father left the family and his mother struggles to pay tuition, prompting Neil to offer coaching to improve both grades and football prospects. This mentorship pulls Neil deeper into the students' personal lives.

Neil convinces the honor society to invite the entire student body to Harrison's annual dance, inviting wider participation. Conway High's toughs outside attempt to crash the party, but Griff, a former Conway student, stands up to them and earns Harrison students' respect. Inside, Joan criticizes Neil for crossing boundaries, then reveals she once loved an idealistic teacher who was killed.

On report-card day Griff is rewarded for his grades and stops by Anne's house that night. Anne, trying to change, lets him in but he forces himself on her and she asks him to leave. Embittered, Griff seeks out Chris and finds Patcher at Chris's apartment preparing for a robbery, inviting Griff to join the next job.

Griff decides to join the planned robbery after meeting Chris and Patcher, seeking to prove himself and change his life. The weekend at the lake with Jim and Buddy foreshadows tensions that will erupt back home. The stage is set for a fateful night tied to the gang's criminal activity.

Jim invites Griff to the lake with Buddy and Jim's family, while the robbery proceeds at night with Chris, Patcher, and Griff waiting. The watchman is knocked out and Patcher disables the alarm, but the job goes wrong when the guard shoots Chris. Griff panics, abandons the getaway truck, and hides at Harrison High to avoid the police.

Buddy returns home after the events at the lake and overhears his mother's drunken flirting, which traumatizes him further. The next day, Mrs. McCalla seeks Neil's help after finding Buddy's discarded sweater. At a rehearsal, Buddy confronts Griff about his mother and a fight erupts; Neil arrives to intervene, and Donlan suspends Neil and threatens to expel Buddy.

Ricky finds Anne's bloodied scrapbook page and shows it to Joan, who urges Anne to tell the truth. Meanwhile Griff tells Donlan the truth, sparing Anne from confessing herself and shifting the burden of accountability. The revelations shift the school's handling of the scandal.

Patcher follows Griff to the school, confronting him with a switchblade. The two boys fight in the biology lab as Neil tries to stop them, and he triggers the fire alarm to draw attention. Griff is wounded; Patcher escapes and is later arrested by the police.

With Neil and Donlan testifying on Griff's behalf, Griff avoids jail and is placed on probation. The community witnesses a tough but necessary reckoning, emphasizing accountability and responsibility. The story closes on Neil's continued commitment to his students and to doing what’s right.