A school official has been imprisoned for allegedly orchestrating a child fight club. Mary Tracy Morrison, 51, who oversaw the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage program in Jonesboro, Arkansas, admitted guilt to permitting child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of juveniles. This follows her arrest in April 2025, triggered by a mother’s report to the police of her son enduring mental and physical abuse at school.
Video evidence, obtained through a search warrant, exposed Morrison directing a child to sit in the middle of a circle formed by 18 other students, where the child was physically assaulted. The incident, lasting 30 minutes, saw Morrison encouraging the abuse and even rewarding the student’s actions. Following the assault, Morrison compelled the victim to apologize to the other students and instructed them to keep quiet about the event.
Morrison received a 30-day jail sentence, 120 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring, and nine years of probation. Additionally, she was prohibited from future work involving children, mandated to undergo a mental health evaluation, and had to surrender her occupational therapy license.
Three other school employees, Michael Bean, Kristen Bell, and Kathrine Lipscomb, were also arrested in connection with the abuse allegations. The document detailing the accusations described their failure to intervene as the abuse took place in the classroom.
Lipscomb’s bond was set at $100,000 (£73,500), while Bean and Bell’s bonds were set at $10,000 (£7,350). They were all ordered to refrain from any contact with the school and its students.