monkeybusinessimages/iStockThe Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage program in Jonesboro, Arkansas, felt like a godsend for many parents of children with autism. They trusted the school’s founder, Dr. Tracy Morrison, who seemed passionate about helping each child learn in a way that works best for them. But behind closed doors, things were apparently not as they appeared. Morrison reportedly led what some describe as a “fight club” for students. The seemingly well-intended school director was the ringleader whose teachers followed suit. Morrison is headed to jail for just 30 days, a sentence some say is far too lenient.
Morrison seemed like she had it all together.
In 2023, Morrison passionately shared her vision for Engage in an interview with KAIT. She said that Engage’s goal was to help children with autism optimize the front of their brains.
“So, the front of the brain enables us to be polite social beings, not to be impulsive, to plan, and keep our cool when we are upset,” she said. “All the things that set us apart as professionals.”
She added that studying the brain and it how it functions in people with autism helps figure out emotional responses.
“So understanding what exactly creates their responses of fear, fight, or freezing in these kiddos who are autistic,” she told KAIT.
The outlet interviewed a student who claimed he loved attending Engage. “We usually hang out with each other playing Roblox on X-Box,” he said. But not every child seemed to have that experience.
A parent contacted police to report the abuse.
In April 2025, police arrested Morrison after a parent complained to the Craighead County Sheriff’s Office that her child was abused at Engage. Investigators saw video from the facility, and it astonished them. According to court documents obtained by KAIT, in the video, Morrison “instructed the child to sit on the floor while being surrounded on the outside of a circle by 18 other juvenile students and Dr. Morrison.”
Morrison reportedly told the children to put their hands on the child in the center and to begin “hitting the child with an unknown object,” per KAIT.
In addition to Morrison, three Engage employees reportedly sat by and did nothing to help the children. Police also arrested 38-year-old Michael Bean, 36-year-old Kristin Bell, and 45-year-old Kathrine Lipscomb in connection with the abuse, KAIT reported.
Morrison reportedly told the students not to speak of the abuse.
According to court documents obtained by KAIT, Prosecuting Attorney Sonia Hagood said one abuse incident lasted approximately 30 minutes, and at the end, Morrison instructed the victim to apologize. Morrison also told the children never to speak of the abuse again.
She called Morrison “the ringleader of this makeshift child fight club. She was the ringleader of this particular incident.”
Morrison’s attorney denied the allegations.
Paul Ford, who represented Morrison in court, denied any wrongdoing by his client and argued she had been a driving force for positivity in the autism community for years.
“To be clear: there was no ‘fight club.’ This mischaracterization and others like it fueled a viral narrative that was unwarranted and unhelpful to the community. Statements like this cause long-lasting harm to the real people involved,” Ford said per court documents, KFVS reported. “For years, Dr. Morrison has devoted her professional life to serving children with social, emotional, and developmental challenges—many of whom struggle to succeed in traditional environments. Her work focused on helping these youth develop coping skills, build relationships, and gain confidence through guided, experiential learning.”
A judge disagreed and sentenced Morrison to probation for 108 months and 30 days in Craighead County Detention Center, per KFVS.
It sounds like her intentions were good in the beginning, but things took a very strange turn. This should be a learning experience for everyone involved.
