School director accused of leading child fight club sentenced to probation, 30 days in jail
The plea follows video evidence that prosecutors said showed a 30-minute assault on a 13-year-old student and led to strict sentencing conditions.
- On Monday, Mary Tracy Morrison, 51, director of Jonesboro's The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain, pleaded guilty to child abuse and contributing to juvenile delinquency, receiving 30 days in jail and nine years of probation.
- An April 17, 2025, report from a mother alleging abuse at the ENGAGE school triggered the investigation, with prosecutors labeling Morrison the "ringleader of a makeshift child fight club."
- Video evidence revealed Morrison instructed 18 juvenile students to surround the victim, use an "unknown object," and strike the child "in the private area," while she berated and gave a student a "high five."
- Morrison faces 120 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring and is permanently barred from working with children. Three other employees—Michael Bean, Kristin Bell, and Kathrine Lipscomb—were also arrested for failing to intervene.
- Chief Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Jessica Thomason said the plea agreement prevents victims from reliving trauma in court while securing long-term safeguards. Morrison must surrender her occupational therapy license and complete mandatory mental health treatment.
36 Articles
36 Articles
School director sentenced for acting as a ‘ringleader’ for a juvenile fight club
The director of an Arkansas school has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for her role in a child “fight club.” Mary Tracy Morrison, a 51-year-old woman, was the director and owner of The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage program in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but on Monday, a judge handed down a sentence that will likely change the course of her life completely. After pleading guilty to one count of permitting child abuse and four…
School director sentenced for acting as a 'ringleader' for a juvenile fight club · American Wire News
The director of an Arkansas school has been sentenced to 30 days in jail for her role in a child “fight club.” Mary Tracy Morrison, a 51-year-old woman, was the director and owner of The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage program in Jonesboro, Arkansas, but on Monday, a judge handed down a sentence that will likely change the course of her life completely. After pleading guilty to one count of permitting child abuse and four…
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