The Utah boarding school where American socialite Paris Hilton says she was abused as a teenager has had its licence revoked, prompting praise from the heiress. The Springville campus of Provo Canyon School had its licence revoked due to unnecessary restraint, aggressive physical contact and instances of neglect, along with noncompliance issues, according to state regulators, as reported by the BBC.
State Action Against the School
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services took away the licence on Monday, stating the school failed to meet health and safety requirements. Services at the school must end by Aug. 6 and the Springville campus is banned from accepting new enrollments, according to PEOPLE. Provo Canyon School has 15 days to challenge the decision.
According to the school’s website, the facility is described as an intensive psychiatric youth residential treatment centre for girls aged 12 to 18. Hilton has championed a campaign to close the school, even appearing before U.S. Congress to talk about her experience when she attended in the 1990s. She said the facility “failed the children in its care.”
Hilton's Reaction and Advocacy
In a statement, the 45-year-old Hilton said the decision to revoke the licence was a milestone for not only herself, but for many ex-students who have talked publicly about their experiences. “For more than 50 years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect and trauma,” said Hilton, per BBC. “Today, the state confirmed what survivors have known all along: Provo Canyon School failed the children in its care. I was one of those children.”
“I know what it feels like to cry for help and believe no-one is coming. Today, children still inside that facility know someone is finally coming to protect them,” Hilton added. She said no facility was too powerful to be held accountable. “When survivors refuse to stay silent, change is possible,” she said.
Allegations of Abuse at the School
In 2020, Hilton talked about the alleged abuse she suffered at Provo Canyon School in her YouTube Originals documentary, This Is Paris. While testifying at a Senate committee hearing at the Utah Capitol in 2021 in favour of a bill requiring more government oversight of youth residential treatment centres, Hilton said facility staff would beat her, force her to take unknown pills, watch her shower, and punish her by sending her to solitary confinement without clothes.
Hilton, who was sent to Provo Canyon School for 11 months at age 17, said two school transporters showed up at her home with handcuffs and asked her if she “wanted to go the easy way or the hard way,” WTNH reported. She said she was taken to an airport and separated from her family. After being taken to facilities in other states, Hilton was eventually situated at Provo Canyon School.
In a 2020 PEOPLE interview, Hilton said she buried her truth “for so long.” “But I’m proud of the strong woman I’ve become,” said Hilton. “People might assume everything in my life came easy to me, but I want to show the world who I truly am.”
School Officials Respond
Provo Canyon School officials told local media they were “evaluating all available legal and administrative options, including an appeal.” “As this is an ongoing matter, we are limited in what we can say at this time. Our priority remains providing safe, high-quality care and support for adolescents and their families, and we remain committed to serving those in need,” school officials noted, per BBC.
Complaints were lodged with Utah’s licensing agency in June. State health officials have also imposed temporary restrictions on the school’s boys’ campus in Provo, Utah, in June. The school’s website noted the boys’ campus will continue to operate to serve those already under care, but is not allowed to accept new admissions. The BBC reported that an inquiry found that school staff failed to protect a boy who was involved in a fight, and didn’t seek immediate medical care for injuries he suffered.
