A top school employee in Arkansas has been sentenced to jail after being accused of orchestrating a child fight club. Mary Tracy Morrison, 51, who owned and directed the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage programme in Jonesboro, pleaded guilty on Monday to one count of permitting child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.
Incident Details
Morrison was arrested in April 2025 after a mother alerted police that her son was being mentally and physically abused at school. Police obtained video footage via a search warrant, which revealed Morrison instructed a child to sit on the floor while being surrounded by 18 other juvenile students in a circle. The probable cause affidavit stated that Morrison ordered other pupils to place their hands on the child in the middle and proceeded to hit him with an unknown object.
During the 30-minute incident, Morrison berated the victim as another child was seen kicking and choking him. She later gave the attacking student a high five, displaying pleasure with the student's actions. The teacher also directed a student to hit the victim in the private area. After the assault, Morrison instructed the victim to apologise to all other students and told the pupils never to discuss what had happened again.
Sentencing and Consequences
Morrison was sentenced to 30 days in jail, 120 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring, and nine years of probation. She is banned from working with children in any professional capacity and must complete a mental health assessment and surrender her occupational therapy licence.
Other Employees Involved
School employees Michael Bean, 38, Kristen Bell, 36, and Kathrine Lipscomb, 45, were also apprehended in connection with the allegations. Bean, a teacher's aide, reportedly entered the classroom and watched the assault without intervening. Bell and Lipscomb were seen witnessing the abuse and not intervening. Lipscomb's bond was set at $100,000, while Bean and Bell's bonds were set at $10,000. All were ordered to have no contact with the school and its students.
