Utah Revokes License of Provo Canyon School
The state of Utah has revoked the license of the Provo Canyon School, a boarding facility where socialite Paris Hilton has alleged she was abused during her teenage years. The state cited the school’s failure to provide adequate health and safety services for its clients as the primary reason for the revocation.
The revocation took effect on Monday and addresses multiple noncompliance issues at the school’s Springville campus. The school has 15 days to request a hearing with Utah’s Department of Health and Human Services regarding the decision.
Details of Noncompliance and Abuse Allegations
The citations against Provo Canyon School span several years, dating back to 2025, and include a range of violations. These include failure to increase staff-to-client ratios as required, the use of unnecessary restraints and aggressive physical contact with a client, neglect of care, and delays in verifying employee information or submitting background checks for applicants. In May, state health officials imposed temporary restrictions after determining that staff did not seek immediate medical care for a student who sustained serious injuries.
Paris Hilton’s Statement on Abuse and School Failures
Paris Hilton issued a statement on Tuesday condemning the school and acknowledging the state’s action as confirmation of long-standing survivor accounts.
“For more than fifty years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma,” Hilton said. “Today, the state confirmed what survivors have known all along: Provo Canyon School failed the children in its care.
“I was one of those children. I know what it feels like to cry for help and believe no one is coming. Today, children still inside that facility know someone is finally coming to protect them.”
Hilton’s Experience and Advocacy
Hilton, a hotel heiress and media personality, spent nearly a year at Provo Canyon School in the late 1990s. She has publicly described being subjected to physical abuse by staff, being watched while showering, being administered unknown medications, and being confined in solitary without clothing.
Since then, Hilton has actively called for the closure of the school and has testified before Congress and various state legislatures across the United States. Her advocacy has contributed to the passage of legislation aimed at protecting teenagers in Utah and 15 other states.
Context of Utah’s Troubled Teen Industry
Utah has historically been a significant hub for the “troubled teen industry,” a network of private, for-profit residential centers catering to youth with behavioral challenges.
Provo Canyon School, which describes itself on its website as a psychiatric residential treatment facility for youth aged 12 to 18, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Associated Press. The state has mandated that all services at the Springville campus cease by 6 August.
Recent Developments and Legal Actions
In June, Hilton returned to the school to support two families who filed lawsuits alleging mistreatment of their children at the facility.
The school is currently under new ownership. The administration has stated that it cannot comment on any matters predating the change in ownership, including Hilton’s experiences.
