Arkansas School Director Gets 30 Days in Jail for Leading Child Fight Club

A school director in Jonesboro, Arkansas, received a 30-day jail sentence, 120 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring and nine years of probation after prosecutors labeled her the ringleader of a child fight club.

Mary Tracy Morrison, 51, owner and director of The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage program, pleaded guilty Monday to one count of permitting child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, KAIT reported.

The judge barred her from working with children in any professional capacity. Morrison must surrender her occupational therapy license and any related licenses, complete a mental health assessment and follow all recommended treatments.

Morrison was arrested in April 2025 after a mother reported to the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office that her teenage son had endured mental and physical abuse at the school.

Deputies obtained video footage through a search warrant. It showed Morrison instructing a child to sit on the floor, surrounded by 18 other juvenile students and herself, according to a probable cause affidavit cited by KAIT.

The affidavit stated Morrison directed the students to put their hands on the child in the center and strike him with an unknown object. As she verbally berated the child, another student kicked and choked him.

After the incident, Morrison gave the juvenile a high five, showing pleasure in the student's actions, the affidavit said. The episode lasted 30 minutes and included a teacher directing a student to strike a classmate in the private area, deputies noted.

Morrison then instructed the victim to apologize to the other students and told everyone never to discuss the matter, the document stated.

Three other employees—Michael Bean, 38, Kristin Bell, 36, and Kathrine Lipscomb, 45—faced arrest in connection with the abuse.

Fox News Digital could not reach The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain or the Engage program for comment. No public or operational email address was listed for either.