West Plains native makes national headlines for “child fight club” accusation

A West Plains native is facing charges in Arkansas and is making headlines in national news outlets for allegations that she facilitated “fight club”-style violence among special needs students at the school she founded. 

 

Mary Tracy Morrison, 50, of Jonesboro, Ark., is facing 11 felony counts of permitting child abuse, 18 misdemeanor counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile, and one count of failure to notify by a mandated reporter, according to court documents. 

 

Morrison is the founder of the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage Center for Enriched Learning.

 

In response to a parent’s allegation of abuse, Craighead County Sherriff’s deputies launched an investigation and executed a search warrant on the school. They viewed video footgae of an incident inside the school on April 16, 2025. 

 

The events in the video were first described as a “child fight club,” by KAIT, and Jonesboro-area television station, quoting Craighead County Prosecuting attorney Sonia Hagood. The allegation has since been repeated by national news outlets like USA Today and the DailyMail.

 

The video shows a juvenile, surrounded by Morrison and more than a dozen other students, as the students mentally and physically abuse the child in the center of the circle, according to court documents. 

“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,” the court documents read. The incident lasted about 30 minutes. 

 

Morrison and three employees of the school were arrested and charged in connection with the day’s events. All four have bonded out. 

 

A motion and plea day in Craighead County Court is scheduled for Sept. 24 and 25. A jury trial is scheduled for Oct. 6-10 and Oct. 20-24.