Credited from: SCMP
The state of Utah has officially revoked the license of Provo Canyon School, where socialite Paris Hilton claims she suffered abuse as a teenager. The state cited that the school "failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients," with an immediate effect from Monday. This decision highlights a series of compliance issues, including inadequate staff-to-client ratios and reports of unnecessary physical restraint or aggressive behavior towards students, with noncompliance documented as far back as 2025, according to SCMP, Los Angeles Times, BBC, and CBS News.
The administrative action noted that the school has 15 days to appeal the decision to the Department of Health and Human Services. All services must cease by August 6, coinciding with ongoing issues raised by former students, including Hilton, who has been vocal about her traumatic experiences at the facility in the late 1990s. Hilton stated, "For more than fifty years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma," affirming that the school's failures have long been recognized by survivors, as reported by SCMP, Los Angeles Times, BBC, and CBS News.
In response to the licensing revocation, the current ownership of Provo Canyon School indicated intentions to consider an appeal. The facility, described as a psychiatric residential treatment center for youth aged 12 to 18, has been criticized for its treatment practices, with Hilton alleging severe abuses during her stay, including physical assaults and solitary confinement. "The news I've been fighting and praying for is finally here," she expressed on social media after the announcement, highlighting the ongoing struggles of children still within such institutions, according to SCMP, Los Angeles Times, BBC, and CBS News.
Hilton's advocacy has included testimonies before Congress aimed at reforming the treatment of troubled teens across the U.S. Her experiences have drawn attention to the broader issue of accountability in the "troubled teen" industry, which has seen numerous allegations of abuse and neglect. The state health officials earlier highlighted serious lapses in the school's operations, including a failure to seek immediate medical attention for injured students, further compounding the scrutiny on its practices, as noted by SCMP, Los Angeles Times, BBC, and CBS News.