Arkansas private school founder pleads guilty to child abuse after video evidence emerges
A ProPublica investigation reveals how minimal oversight allowed a private school in Arkansas to operate with little transparency, culminating in criminal charges against its founder following the release of disturbing video footage.
Mary “Tracy” Morrison, the founder of the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain in Arkansas, has pleaded guilty to one count of permitting child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. The plea agreement follows a criminal investigation led by the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office, which uncovered video evidence depicting Morrison directing students to assault a classmate and forcing others to scrub floors with rags. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail.
The charges stem from incidents captured on camera at the school, located in a white colonial house near Jonesboro. One video, obtained by ProPublica through Freedom of Information Act requests, shows Morrison instructing a group of 12- and 13-year-old students to place their hands on a boy in the centre of a circle. The footage captures students choking, hitting, and pinching the boy, while Morrison encourages the behaviour and later strikes the boy with a plastic cylinder. Another video shows three boys scrubbing floors and walls as Morrison shouts commands.
Morrison, an occupational therapist with no prior experience running a school, marketed herself as an expert on autism and neurodivergence. She declined to speak to investigators or prosecutors. However, jail recordings obtained by ProPublica reveal Morrison describing the assault incident as a “sophisticated” and “restorative” intervention method intended to guide students away from criminal behaviour.
The case highlights significant regulatory gaps in Arkansas, where private schools receive public vouchers but face minimal oversight. The state requires only fire drills, immunisation records, and an American flag, with no review of curricula or staff credentials. The Arkansas Department of Education did not investigate the school prior to the criminal charges, and officials did not confirm whether site visits occurred after the arrest.
The school, which continues to operate under new administration, was renamed North Star Academy in the spring. A new administrator stated that Morrison has zero involvement with the institution. Despite the sentencing, the school remains eligible for state public funding, underscoring the limited accountability mechanisms available to the state regarding private education providers.
