Utah authorities have revoked the license of a boarding school where Paris Hilton claimed she experienced mistreatment as a teenager, citing the facility’s failure to meet health and safety standards for clients. The license revocation, effective as of Monday, is based on various compliance issues at Provo Canyon School in Springville, dating back to 2025. The school has been given 15 days to request a hearing with the Department of Health and Human Services.
The violations include inadequate staff-to-client ratios, incidents of unnecessary physical restraint and aggressive behavior towards clients, neglect of care, and delays in verifying employee information and conducting background checks for applicants. State health officials previously imposed temporary restrictions on the school in May due to staff not promptly seeking medical care for a student with significant injuries.
Paris Hilton, a prominent figure in the media, who spent nearly a year at the school in the late 1990s, expressed her support for the state’s actions, affirming that Provo Canyon School had failed the children under its care for over five decades. Hilton shared her own account of abuse and neglect during her time at the school, including allegations of physical abuse, invasion of privacy, forced medication, and solitary confinement without clothing.
The director of licensing and background checks at the Utah Department of Health and Human Services, Shannon Thoman-Black, announced that the facility must cease operations by August 6. Moreover, the owners are prohibited from reapplying for a new license for five years, with ongoing monitoring and inspections to ensure compliance with regulations.
Hilton has been actively advocating for the closure of the school, testifying about her experiences before legislative bodies and assisting in the enactment of laws to safeguard teenagers in Utah and other states. The troubled-teen industry, which includes private for-profit residential facilities for children with behavioral challenges, has been a focal point of reform efforts in Utah and beyond.
Provo Canyon School, a psychiatric residential treatment facility catering to youth aged 12 to 18, did not provide immediate feedback in response to inquiries. The state directive mandates the cessation of all services at the campus by August 6. Hilton revisited the school in June to show support for families pursuing legal action against the institution for alleged mistreatment of their children.
Following a change in ownership, the current administration refrained from commenting on past incidents predating the transition, including Hilton’s documented experiences at the school.