Utah Revokes License of Boarding School Following Abuse Claims

Utah has officially revoked the license of a boarding school where socialite Paris Hilton claims she experienced abuse as a teenager. The state indicated that the school “failed to provide adequate health and safety services to its clients.”

The state’s decision, which became effective on Monday, highlighted various compliance issues related to the Provo Canyon School in Springville. The school now has a 15-day window to request a hearing from the Department of Health and Human Services.

The broad array of citations dates back to 2025 and points to failures in staffing ratios, inappropriate physical contact with students, neglect in care, and delays in employee background checks. In May, state health officials had already imposed temporary restrictions after staff members did not seek immediate medical attention for a seriously injured student.

“For over 50 years, children have bravely come forward with accounts of abuse, neglect, and trauma,” Hilton expressed in a statement on Tuesday. “Today, the state has affirmed what many survivors have known for years: Provo Canyon School failed these children.”

She went on, “I was one of those kids. I know what it’s like to cry out for help and feel like no one hears you. The children still in these facilities can finally have hope that someone is watching over them.”

Hilton, a hotel heiress and media figure, spent nearly a year at the school during the late 1990s. She has alleged that staff members physically assaulted her, forced her to take unrecognized medications, and kept her in solitary confinement without clothing.

At 45, Hilton has called on Utah’s licensing authority to shut down the school. She has shared her story in Congress and at legislative sessions across various states, contributing to the passage of laws aimed at protecting teens in Utah and 15 other states. Utah has historically been a significant player in the troubled teen industry, which includes private, for-profit residential facilities for children facing behavioral challenges.

Describing itself as a psychiatric residential treatment facility for youth aged 12 to 18, the Provo Canyon School has yet to respond to an inquiry from The Associated Press. According to state communication, all services must cease by August 6.

In June, Hilton visited the school to show support for two families who have filed lawsuits, claiming their children suffered abuse while attending the facility.

The school now has new ownership, and the administration has stated it cannot address any past issues, including the duration of Hilton’s attendance.