Utah revoked the operating license of Provo Canyon School on Monday, citing systemic failures to protect the safety of children in its care. The decision follows decades of abuse allegations at the Springville facility, including claims by socialite Paris Hilton that staff members beat her, administered unknown medications, and confined her to solitary confinement during her nearly year-long stay in the late 1990s.
State health officials documented multiple violations spanning back to 2025, including inadequate staff-to-client ratios, unnecessary physical restraint, neglect of care, and failure to conduct background checks on employees. In May, temporary restrictions were imposed after staff failed to seek immediate medical attention for a student with serious injuries.
The school has 15 days to request a hearing before Utah's health and human services department. All services must cease by August 6.
Hilton released a statement calling the state's action vindication for survivors. "For more than fifty years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma," she said. "Today, the state confirmed what survivors have known all along: Provo Canyon School failed the children in its care."
The 45-year-old hotel heiress has become a prominent advocate for reforming the residential treatment industry after testifying about her experiences at the school before Congress and state legislatures. Her activism has helped pass laws protecting teenagers in Utah and 15 other states. In June, she visited the facility to support families pursuing lawsuits against the school.
Provo Canyon School describes itself as a psychiatric residential treatment center for youth ages 12 to 18. The facility operates under new ownership, which has declined to comment on historical allegations or events predating the change in administration. The school did not respond to requests for comment on the license revocation.
Utah has become a hub for the "troubled teen industry," a network of private, for-profit residential centers that serve adolescents with behavioral challenges. The state's prominence in this sector has made it a focal point for scrutiny over safety practices and accountability.
Author James Rodriguez: "Hilton's persistence in holding this school accountable matters more than her celebrity status, and the state finally catching up should pressure every other facility operating in this murky industry."
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