Viral Hooks
Trending short videosExposing abuse at state-funded school
P

@propublica

Instagram · Quick Hit

@propublica In 2024, Mary “Tracy” Morrison opened The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain outside Jonesboro, Arkansas, after the state expanded its school voucher program, allowing families to use public funds for private school tuition. Videos obtained by ProPublica show Morrison leading a “group discussion” where she encouraged students to assault a 13-year-old boy. Another video shows students, including a child with autism, scrubbing floors and walls while being berated as punishment. The incidents led to criminal charges and jail time for Morrison. Despite multiple complaints — and videos — of physical abuse and mistreatment of students, Arkansas’ Delta Institute continues to receive public funds. It is just one of hundreds of private schools taking state money with little oversight. If your child has disabilities and you’ve used — or were unable to use — school voucher programs, we’d like to hear about your experience. Head to the link in our bio to read the full story and find out how you can get in touch.

View original on Instagram

The edit1 shot · 16 text
Shots Text1:53

Performance

Views
320.6K
Likes
13.1K
Comments
1.2K
Engagement
4.5%
Outlier
19.5×
Length · 25 Jul 2026
1:53

Video #37235 · Quick Hit

Exposing abuse at state-funded schoolfrom @propublica

[01]

Overview

The video presents compiled footage from The Delta Institute, showing founder Mary 'Tracy' Morrison encouraging a student to choke a classmate and forcing other students to scrub floors as punishment. It uses text overlays to explain the context of the abuse, Morrison's subsequent arrest and jail sentence, and the fact that the school continues to receive public funding through Arkansas's voucher program, concluding with a call to read the full investigative report.

[02]

Simple outline

  1. 1Present shocking primary evidence
  2. 2Show a pattern of behavior
  3. 3Reveal the insufficient consequence
  4. 4Expose the unresolved systemic failure

[03]

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[04]

Classification

Format
Quick Hit
Concepts
Case Study BreakdownBreakdown
Elements
Archival FootageText OverlayB-Roll Cutaway
Account
Brand
Topics
JournalismPoliticsEducationTrue Crime

[05]

Hook analysis

What stops the scroll in the first 3 seconds

Title hook · 15%

This video contains footage of children and allegations of abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.

Verbal hook · 20%

Do you remember that?

Visual hook · 65%

The video opens with blurry, raw surveillance footage of a woman kneeling on the floor in front of a circle of children, creating an immediate sense of authenticity and tension. The low-quality, candid nature of the shot signals to the viewer that they are about to witness an unfiltered, serious event.

[06]

Hook template

Steal this for your own video

Open on [low-quality or raw footage type] showing [authority figure] surrounded by [vulnerable group], framed to look like the viewer is witnessing something they were never meant to see.

  • — Open on grainy CCTV footage showing a facility manager surrounded by elderly residents in a care home hallway, framed to look like the viewer is witnessing something they were never meant to see.
  • — Open on shaky phone video showing a youth coach surrounded by teenage athletes in a locker room, framed to look like the viewer is witnessing something they were never meant to see.
  • — Open on blurry dashcam footage showing a warehouse supervisor surrounded by workers on a factory floor, framed to look like the viewer is witnessing something they were never meant to see.

[07]

Hook and payoff

The promise the opener makes, and how the video pays it back

Hook

A content warning followed by a direct, confrontational piece of evidence (audio/visual) that immediately establishes a high-stakes conflict without full context, compelling the viewer to seek understanding.

Payoff

A final screen that provides context on the unresolved nature of the systemic problem and directs the viewer to an external source (e.g., an article, a petition) for more information, effectively converting outrage into engagement.

[08]

Narrative framework

The structural pattern this video runs on

Framework

The Outrage Funnel

To expose a specific, shocking wrongdoing and then connect it to a larger, unresolved systemic failure, channeling viewer outrage towards a specific call to action.

  1. 1

    The Primary Offense

    Presenting the most visceral and undeniable piece of evidence of wrongdoing, often involving a clear victim and antagonist, to establish the core transgression.

  2. 2

    The Corroborating Evidence

    Introducing a second, different example of the antagonist's misconduct to establish a pattern of behavior and prevent the primary offense from being dismissed as an isolated incident.

  3. 3

    The Inadequate Resolution

    Detailing the official consequences or punishment for the antagonist, framed in a way that feels insufficient or unjust compared to the severity of the offense, creating a feeling of unresolved injustice.

  4. 4

    The Systemic Reveal

    Pivoting from the individual antagonist to a larger institutional or systemic problem that allows the negative situation to persist, revealing the problem is bigger than one person.

Themes

  • Child abuse
  • Accountability
  • Systemic failure
  • Public funding
  • Education reform

Techniques

  • Investigative reporting
  • Use of primary source footage
  • Text-driven narrative

Post caption

In 2024, Mary “Tracy” Morrison opened The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain outside Jonesboro, Arkansas, after the state expanded its school voucher program, allowing families to use public funds for private school tuition. Videos obtained by ProPublica show Morrison leading a “group discussion” where she encouraged students to assault a 13-year-old boy. Another video shows students, including a child with autism, scrubbing floors and walls while being berated as punishment. The incidents led to criminal charges and jail time for Morrison. Despite multiple complaints — and videos — of physical abuse and mistreatment of students, Arkansas’ Delta Institute continues to receive public funds. It is just one of hundreds of private schools taking state money with little oversight. If your child has disabilities and you’ve used — or were unable to use — school voucher programs, we’d like to hear about your experience. Head to the link in our bio to read the full story and find out how you can get in touch.

Text overlays

  • informational · beginning

    This video contains footage of children and allegations of abuse. Viewer discretion is advised.

  • contextual · beginning

    Jonesboro, Arkansas April 16, 2025

  • informational · beginning

    This boy is called a liar. He's told not to defend himself.

  • contextual · beginning

    The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain April 16, 2025

  • contextual · beginning

    Mary “Tracy” Morrison School founder, Delta Institute for the Developing Brain

  • informational · beginning

    Morrison encourages students to attack the 13-year-old boy in the middle.

  • informational · middle

    This student proceeds to choke the boy.

  • informational · middle

    In 2024, Morrison opened this school after Arkansas expanded its school voucher program, allowing families to use public funds for private school tuition.

  • informational · middle

    She also made students, including a child with autism, scrub floors and walls.

  • informational · middle

    Morrison was charged with 11 felony counts of permitting child abuse and other related crimes. She took a deal pleading guilty to one count of permitting child abuse and four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a juvenile. She was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

  • informational · end

    Arkansas temporarily suspended voucher payments after Morrison's arrest. Then, two days later, public funding resumed. The private school is just one of hundreds taking state money with little oversight.

  • branding · end

    PROPUBLICA

  • title · end

    This Private School Had Students Scrub Floors and Attack a Fellow Classmate. The State Still Funds It.

  • call-to-action · end

    Head to the link in our bio to read more.

  • informational · end

    In March, the mother of the boy who was assaulted in the circle at school sued Morrison, her school, her therapy business and her insurance companies seeking compensatory and punitive damages for what happened to her son. In court filings, Morrison’s attorney denied the allegations and said “the video speaks for itself.” The current administrators of the school say Dr. Tracy has “zero involvement” with the school right now. The Delta Institute for the Developing Brain is still open and eligible to receive public funds.

  • informational · end

    Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders and state education officials didn’t respond to specific questions from ProPublica about the state’s oversight of private schools or how it responded to revelations about the Delta Institute. They emphasized that the state intervenes to ensure students are safe and taxpayer dollars are spent responsibly. Morrison did not respond to interview requests and questions from ProPublica.

Transcript

Do you remember that? Do you remember it? Lie. Lie. Come on. This doesn't get to be about fun. Go. There's black marks all over the wall. You can focus on the easy stuff. You don't need to make it about a fun thing. Good, Jacob. I love that you're cleaning the floorboards. You're working like a slum. Get at it. Get at it. You are in the biggest trouble.