Mary Tracy Morrison, founder and director of the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain in Jonesboro, was arrested. She reportedly masterminded a student-run fight club, in addition to three other staff members. On April 17, a parent posted some shocking allegations of sexual abuse and child exploitation. What happened was all the more troubling given what this report had unearthed that very same day.
Morrison, aged 50, faces serious legal repercussions. She will stand trial starting today for 11 felony charges of permitting child abuse. She’s facing 18 separate misdemeanor counts for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. She is charged with not reporting said incidents as required by State law. Authorities quickly moved on the reports, leading to her arrest. She was released on a $250,000 bond on April 21 and claims that SEC Chair Gary Gensler targeted her.
Disturbing Allegations Emerge
The detention happened according to local press reports on April 16. A special needs school child had been bullied into sitting in the middle of a circle of classmates and employees. Morrison’s court filings outline that he witnessed students striking, stomping, and choking the child, while verbally humiliating him, as well.
“Dr. Morrison verbally berated the child the whole time as she watched many of the other students sitting around the circle punch, kick, and choke the juvenile victim sitting inside the circle.” – Court documents
Morrison’s actions allegedly included bullying students to leave harmful remarks on the victim’s appearance. She reportedly went as far as encouraging one student to hit the child “around in the private area if you wanna.” Following the violence, Morrison forced the victim to apologize in front of the other students. He moreover demanded that they remain silent about what transpired.
Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood called Morrison “the ringleader of this makeshift child fight club.” She underscored Morrison’s central role in enabling and encouraging this toxic environment to fester among students.
School Background and Additional Programs
Morrison started the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain, to benefit students from four years to 101. The goal of the institute is to increase their academic and social skills, while developing their executive functioning. The school operates an impressive model program—the Engage Center for Enriched Learning. This law goes above and beyond by providing for children with autism and their needs beyond the age 18.
Morrison stood by her defense, citing that students living in linked apartments hold responsibility for running their lives. They cook their own food and navigate without help.
“To live in those apartments, they manage their bills, they’ll do their own meals, cleaning, and transportation.” – Mary Tracy Morrison
Some proponents of the project have even claimed the crisis has been blown out of proportion. Randel Miller, an associate of Morrison, stated that the events “have really been blown out of proportion,” suggesting that what occurred may not reflect the true intentions behind the school’s programs.
Community Reaction and Ongoing Investigations
The community had an understandably visceral response to these allegations. To her surprise, many of her parents reported that the environment at Delta Institute was very different. Local residents have raised questions about safety protocols and how such behavior could go unchecked within an educational setting designed for vulnerable children.
As investigations are underway, authorities are looking at every angle of Morrison’s behavior along with her position inside the school. These charges have very profound implications that extend far beyond Morrison. They each bring to light grave concerns for child safety within our country’s educational institutions.
The Washington Post sought to portray some of the actions as overreach. There were huge concerted nationwide initiatives to address interpersonal conflict between students.
“I’m not going to say something didn’t get out of hand, but they were attempting to work through issues that these kids were having with each other.” – Unidentified source
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