Paris Hilton Supports Survivors Suing 'Hellish' New York Boarding School

Paris Hilton has publicly declared her support for 34 former students of The Family Foundation School, a now-closed boarding school in upstate New York, who are suing the institution and its associates for alleged systemic child abuse. The school, which operated from 1984 to 2014 on a 158-acre campus in Hancock, Catskill Mountains, faces accusations of sexual assault, strip searches, and forcing students to dig their own graves and consume their own vomit.

A federal judge in Binghamton is scheduled to hear testimony from several survivors on November 4. Hilton, who has become a prominent advocate for survivors of the troubled-teen industry after detailing her own experiences at Utah's Provo Canyon School, stated, "I stand with the survivors of Family Foundation School as they seek justice and work to hold accountable those who abused them, along with every institution and individual that enabled or profited from that abuse."

She added, "No child should ever be harmed in the name of treatment. I hope this lawsuit helps bring the accountability these survivors deserve and sends a clear message that those who exploit or abuse children cannot escape responsibility."

The law firm Johannesen & Umana, representing the former students, anticipates filing at least 50 lawsuits. Attorney Elizabeth Johannesen noted that the alleged abuse, coupled with the realization that it generated profit, led clients to believe they were victims of labor and sex trafficking.

In 2025, a former teacher at the school, Paul Geer, was sentenced to 27 years in prison for coercing and transporting children across state lines for sexual activity. The current lawsuits also name entities such as Education Plus, the school's corporate entity, NBT Bank for providing loans against the campus, and food company Sysco, which Johannesen accused of profiting from the situation.

Johannesen drew a parallel to a previous case where victims of Jeffrey Epstein recovered over $430 million from three banks under federal trafficking law, stating an intention to pursue all "knowing beneficiaries" in the current case.

One plaintiff, who was 14 when sent to the school in 2000, alleged in her lawsuit that she was isolated, assaulted, and deprived of food, and that staff forced her to cut her hair because it was deemed "too sexual." Another accuser, identified as VP, testified in Geer's criminal trial about the lasting trauma and violation of their childhoods, stating, "We were children, not commodities."

Rachele Van Arsdale, another former student, claims the trauma from alleged sexual abuse and forced labor has devastated her life. Her lawsuit states that after Geer's trial, her mental health declined, leading to the loss of her law practice and child custody. She was admitted to an inpatient clinic, requiring her attorneys to travel to sign her complaint.

"I learned for the first time that I had not just been abused but trafficked by people who were supposed to help me and instead exploited me to make money. My life completely collapsed," Van Arsdale said.

Education Plus, NBT Bank, and Sysco have not yet responded to requests for comment.