History TearJerker / BostonPublic

* In one episode, Steven's speech to the entire school about the blight of racism in society after two Middle Eastern students are taken out of Winslow High by their father due to threats, taunts, and assaults leveled against them. He starts out calmly, but gradually becomes more angered and distressed to the point where he can't even finish the speech and instead walks off, ending the episode.

* [[spoiler: (John [=LaBlonde=]'s [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]])]] in "Chapter Four." He was a kid who wanted a prestigious award, but unfortunately, Steven adamantly refused to give him a recommendation for it because he was a member of the soccer team who cheated on a civics test (John himself knew what was going on but didn't participate in the scandal; however, Steven felt he should've reported his teammates). The real kicker comes when John's parents tell Steven "You know why this happened" after Steven arrives at the hospital upon receiving word of [[spoiler: (John's suicide.)]]

* Harry finding out that Jamaal bought his college application essay off the Internet and harshly confronts him about it, ending with him telling Jamal to "Get out" and Jamal walking out, crying. Jamal later begs Harry to not give up on him, but Harry remains angry. Although he does convince Williams College to give Jamal a second chance to apply, Harry coldly makes it clear to Jamal that he is not going to ever stick up for him ever again.

* The whole season finale is basically a tearjerker
** [[spoiler:(Ronnie going down to the dungeon and finding Senate after Jamaal’s brother had stabbed him.)]]
** [[spoiler: (All the other staff showing up at the hospital waiting to hear news on Senate’s condition)]]
** [[spoiler: (Harper staying at Senate’s bedside and crying over his friend.)]]
** [[spoiler: (Lipschitz coming to the hospital and visiting Senate and saying a Hebrew prayer for him)]]

* [[spoiler: (Danny admitting to Steven that he was [[RapeAsBackstory molested as a child]] by the same priest who's been molesting a Winslow High student.)]]
-->'''Steven''': (''sympathetically'') Wounds heal, Danny.
-->'''Danny''': Not this wound.

* In one Season 4 episode, Steven's speech to the entire school about the blight of racism in society after two Middle Eastern students are taken out of Winslow High by their father due to threats, taunts, and assaults leveled against them. He starts out calmly, but gradually becomes more angered and distressed to the point where he can't even finish the speech and instead walks off, ending the episode.

* In "Chapter Eighty," [[spoiler: (Steven reading a letter sent to him by Billy Deegan, a former student who was killed while serving in Iraq, and saying a tearful "Goodbye, son.")]]

* John [=LaBlonde=]'s [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]] in "Chapter Four." He was a kid who wanted a prestigious award, but unfortunately, Steven adamantly refused to give him a recommendation for it because he was a member of the soccer team who cheated on a civics test (John himself knew what was going on but didn't participate in the scandal; however, Steven felt he should've reported his teammates). The real kicker comes when John's parents tell Steven "You know why this happened" after Steven arrives at the hospital upon receiving word of John's suicide.

* Harry finding out that Jamal bought his college application essay off the Internet and harshly confronts him about it, ending with him telling Jamal to "Get out" and Jamal walking out, crying. Jamal later begs Harry to not give up on him, but Harry remains angry. Although he does convince Williams College to give Jamal a second chance to apply, Harry coldly makes it clear to Jamal that he is not going to ever stick up for him ever again.

* Danny admitting to Steven that he was [[RapeAsBackstory molested as a child]] by the same priest who's been molesting a Winslow High student.

* In "Chapter Eighty," Steven reading a letter sent to him by Billy Deegan, a former student who was killed while serving in Iraq, and saying a tearful "Goodbye, son."

* John [=LaBlonde=]'s [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]]. He was a kid who wanted a prestigious award, but unfortunately, Steven adamantly refused to give him a recommendation for it because he was a member of the soccer team who cheated on a civics test (John himself knew what was going on but didn't participate in the scandal; however, Steven felt he should've reported his teammates). The real kicker comes when John's parents tell Steven "You know why this happened" after Steven arrives at the hospital upon receiving word of John's suicide.
* One episode had a teacher, who was a close personal friend of Steven's, die of a heart attack. Steven spends the rest of the episode struggling to deal with the loss of his friend; at one point, he ends up [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness lashing out at Marla]] for praying with students on school grounds. The episode ends with Steven visiting his friend's body at the morgue, and [[TalkingToTheDead he reminisces about their first day as teachers]], [[ManlyTears breaking down as he goes on]], before finishing with "Go with {{God}}, my friend" and sliding the body back into the drawer.
* Steven and Guber's arguments in the {{crossover}} with ''Series/ThePractice''. It's a good thing they reconcile by the end.

* One episode had a teacher, who was a close personal friend of Steven's, die of a heart attack. Steven spends the rest of the episode struggling to deal with the loss of his friend; at one point, he ends up [[OOCIsSeriousBusiness lashing out at Marla]] for praying with students on school grounds. The episode ends with Steven visiting his friend's body at the morgue, and he reminisces about their first day as teachers, [[ManlyTears breaking down as he goes on]], before finishing with "Go with {{God}}, my friend" and sliding the body back into the drawer.

* Danny admitting to Steven that he was [[RapeAsBackstory molested as a child]] by a priest (in fact, the same priest who's been molesting a Winslow High student).

* In one Season 4 episode, Steven's speech to the entire school about racism after two Middle Eastern students are taken out of Winslow High by their father due to threats, taunts, and assaults leveled against them. He starts out calmly, but gradually becomes more angered and distressed to the point where he can't even finish the speech and instead walks off, ending the episode.

* John [=LaBlonde=]'s [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]]. He was a kid who wanted a prestigious award, but unfortunately, Steven adamantly refused to give him a recommendation for it because he was a member of the soccer team who cheated on a civics test (John himself knew what was going but didn't participate in the scandal; however, Steven felt he should've reported his teammates). The real kicker comes when John's parents tell Steven "You know why this happened" after Steven arrives at the hospital upon receiving word of John's suicide attempt.
* One episode had a teacher, who was a close personal friend of Steven's, die of a heart attack. Steven spends most of the episode struggling to deal with the loss of his friend (at one point, he ends up lashing out at Marla for praying with students on school grounds). The episode ends with Steven visiting his friend's body at the morgue, and he reminisces about their first day as teachers, [[ManlyTears breaking down as he goes on]], before finishing with "Go with God, my friend" and sliding the body back into the drawer.

** Also Kevin's [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech speech]] to Steven when the latter tries to smooth things out between them.

* Steven learns that Harry knew Tyronn murdered a rival gang member and kept quiet about the whole thing, and he confronts Harry in the Dungeon and [[WhatTheHellHero REALLY tears into him]]. Harry attempts to justify his actions and laments how he's been tormented by the likelihood that Tyronn was killed because he didn't speak up sooner, and how everything is falling apart for him. Steven, however, remains unsympathetic and implies to Harry he's definitely thinking about firing him (in the end, he doesn't).

* John [=LaBlonde=]'s [[DrivenToSuicide suicide]]. He was a kid who wanted a prestigious award, but unfortunately, Steven adamantly refused to give him a recommendation for it because he was a member of the soccer team who cheated on a civics test (John himself didn't participate in the scandal). The real kicker comes when John's parents tell Steven "You know why this happened" after Steven arrives at the hospital upon receiving word of John's suicide attempt.

* One episode had a teacher, who was a close personal friend of Steven's, die of a heart attack. Steven spends most of the episode struggling to deal with the loss of his friend. At one point, he ends up lashing out at Marla for praying with students on school grounds. The episode ends with Steven visiting his friend's body at the morgue, and he reminisces about their first day as teachers, [[ManlyTears breaking down as he goes on]], before finishing with "Go with God, my friend" and sliding the body back into the drawer.

* One episode had a teacher, who was a close personal friend of Steven's, die of a heart attack. Steven spends most of the episode struggling to deal with the loss of his friend, and has to deal with investigating the possibility that the friend may have had a sexual relationship with a student (which turns out to be false). At one point, he ends up lashing out at Marla for praying with students on school grounds. The episode ends with Steven visiting his friend's body at the morgue, and he reminisces about their first day as teachers before finishing with "Go with God, my friend" and sliding the body back into the drawer.