Utah state regulators have revoked the license for the Provo Canyon School's Springville campus, a girls' boarding facility where celebrity Paris Hilton has alleged she was abused as a teenager. The decision comes after state officials cited a pattern of noncompliance, including unnecessary restraint, aggressive physical contact, and instances of neglect.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) stated that the school failed to provide adequate health and safety services for its clients. The residential treatment license has been canceled, with all services at the campus required to cease by August 6. The school has 15 days to challenge the decision.
Paris Hilton, who has become an advocate for reform in the youth treatment industry, issued a statement saying the facility "failed the children in its care." Hilton, who testified before Congress about her experiences at the school in the 1990s, added, "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."
The Springville campus is described on its website as an intensive psychiatric youth residential treatment center for girls aged 12 to 18. Hilton, 45, has publicly shared her accounts of abuse at such facilities, campaigning for their closure and for legislative changes to protect vulnerable youth. Her advocacy has been a significant voice in bringing attention to the conditions within some of these institutions.