Arkansas Principal Sentenced for Classroom Assault

A principal from Arkansas, identified as Mary Tracy Morrison, has been sentenced to 30 days in prison following accusations of orchestrating a severe assault on a 13-year-old student. Morrison, 51, allegedly ran the Delta Brain Development Institute and Engage Program located in Jonesboro.

She recently pleaded guilty to one charge of permitting child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. Three staff members—Michael Biehn, Kristen Bell, and Katherine Lipscomb—were also arrested for their roles in the situation. The case has raised considerable concern within the community.

Beyond her brief prison term, Morrison received a probation sentence of 108 months and an additional 120 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring upon her release. She has been permanently banned from any professional work involving children, and she must surrender her occupational therapist license and undergo a mental health evaluation. Additionally, she is required to keep her distance from the victim. Chief Deputy Prosecutor Jessica Thomason commented that this arrangement aims to ensure enduring repercussions while minimizing the impact on children.

Last year, Prosecutor Sonia Hagood accused Morrison of being the leader of what was described as a “makeshift children’s fighting club.” The investigation began after a report from the student’s mother to the local Sheriff’s Office, indicating that her child was suffering emotional and physical abuse in the school environment.

Investigators discovered a video that reportedly depicted a disturbing scene in which the student was encircled by 18 classmates, all instructed to place their hands on the victim. Morrison allegedly can be heard encouraging this behavior and is depicted as partaking in the assault.

In a particularly troubling account, Morrison is said to have verbally berated the student during what lasted for about 30 minutes, even engaging in a high-five with the assailant after a choking incident. Documents indicate that Morrison gave permission for further physical abuse towards the victim.

The institution was marketed towards children with autism and operated within Arkansas’s LEARNS voucher framework. In defense, Lipscomb’s attorney claimed that the meeting in question was intended to be supportive rather than harmful, and maintained that the incident was misrepresented in public reports.