The state of Utah has revoked the license for the Springville campus of Provo Canyon School, citing a failure to provide essential health and safety services. This action comes after years of allegations of abuse at the facility, including those made by Paris Hilton, who has publicly expressed relief.
The state's decision, effective Monday, lists multiple noncompliance issues that go back to 2025. These include failing to adequately staff client ratios, instances of aggressive physical contact, neglect of care, and delays in verifying employee information and background checks. In May, state health officials had already placed temporary restrictions on the school due to concerns that staff did not seek immediate medical attention for an injured student.
Paris Hilton, who spent nearly a year at the school in the late 1990s, described the license revocation as a long-awaited moment. She has alleged that staff members at the school subjected her to beatings, constant surveillance, forced medication, and solitary confinement. "The place that hurt me, and countless children before and after me, will no longer be allowed to operate," Hilton stated on her X account. "The children inside are going to be removed. The dream I’ve had to protect future generations from the abuse I endured is finally happening."
In a statement Tuesday, Hilton emphasized the significance of the state's confirmation of survivors' accounts. "For more than fifty years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma. Today, the state confirmed what survivors have known all along: Provo Canyon School failed the children in its care," she said. "The little girl in me who was told she would never be believed feels so validated today. We were telling the truth. We always were."
Hilton has been a vocal advocate for reform in the youth residential treatment industry, a sector with a significant presence in Utah. She has testified before Congress and state legislatures, contributing to the passage of laws aimed at protecting teenagers in Utah and 15 other states. The Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act, which she has lobbied for, has been a key focus of her advocacy.
Utah has long been a focal point for issues within the "troubled teen industry," which comprises private, for-profit residential centers for young people with behavioral challenges. Hilton's activism includes returning to the Provo Canyon School in June to support families who had filed lawsuits alleging mistreatment of their children.
The Provo Canyon School is currently under new ownership, and the administration has stated it cannot comment on incidents that occurred prior to the change in ownership, including Hilton's experiences. The state has mandated that all services at the affected campus must cease by August 6.
Hilton has previously detailed enduring physical, sexual, and emotional abuse during her time at the school, describing experiences such as being restrained, sexually assaulted, isolated, and overmedicated. She has also spoken about a non-consensual sexual experience at age 15, which she believes involved a spiked drink. Her advocacy efforts, including testimony and lobbying, have aimed to bring greater regulation and accountability to such institutions. Her documentary, "This Is Paris," released in 2020, also shed light on her experiences and contributed to pushing for stricter regulations for schools serving troubled teens.