Delta Institute Director Sentenced for Child Abuse

Mary Tracy Morrison, the 51-year-old owner and director of the Delta Institute for the Developing Brain and the Engage program in Jonesboro, Arkansas, was sentenced Monday after pleading guilty to one count of permitting child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile.

Craighead County Circuit Court Judge Kyle Howard imposed 30 days in the county detention center, followed by 120 days of house arrest with electronic monitoring and nine years of probation. Morrison must surrender her occupational therapy license, undergo a mental health assessment and complete any recommended treatment, and is permanently barred from working with children in any professional capacity. She is also prohibited from contacting the victim or visiting the school.

The case stemmed from an investigation launched in April 2025, when the mother of a 13-year-old student reported to the Craighead County Sheriff's Office that her son had endured physical and mental abuse at the facility, which serves children with developmental needs including autism. Authorities obtained a search warrant for classroom surveillance video, which captured a 30-minute incident in which Morrison...