Paris Hilton says 'change is possible' after Utah boarding school loses its license

Highlights

• Utah regulators revoke the license of Provo Canyon School's girls' campus over health and safety violations
• Paris Hilton, who has alleged she was abused there as a teenager, says the decision validates survivors' experiences
• The school is considering an appeal and must end operations at the campus by August 6 unless the decision is overturned

Paris Hilton has welcomed Utah's decision to revoke the license of the girls' campus at Provo Canyon School, the residential treatment facility where she says she experienced abuse as a teenager. The move follows state findings of repeated health and safety failures, with Hilton calling it a long-awaited moment of accountability for former residents.

State regulators cited multiple violations, including unnecessary restraint, aggressive physical contact, and neglect, leading to the cancellation of the facility's residential treatment license.

Utah orders girls' campus to close

The Utah Department of Health and Human Services said Provo Canyon School's Springville campus had failed to provide required health and safety services for its residents.

According to the agency, the campus must end all residential treatment services by August 6 unless the decision is successfully appealed. The school has 15 days to challenge the revocation.

The girls' facility serves residents between the ages of 12 and 18 and is described as an intensive psychiatric residential treatment center.

Paris Hilton says survivors have finally been heard

Hilton, who spent nearly a year at the school in the 1990s under previous ownership, said the state's action reflected what former residents had been saying for decades.

"For more than fifty years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma," Hilton said in a statement.

"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."

She added that children currently at the facility would know "someone is finally coming to protect them," while emphasizing that institutions can be held accountable when survivors continue speaking out.

School officials said they are reviewing their legal and administrative options, including a possible appeal.

In a statement to local media, the school said its priority remains providing "safe, high-quality care and support" for adolescents and their families, adding that it was limited in what it could say while the matter remains ongoing.

The facility has faced growing scrutiny in recent years, with former residents calling for its closure and additional complaints submitted to state licensing authorities.

Hilton's campaign against the troubled teen industry

Hilton first publicly detailed her allegations against Provo Canyon School in her 2020 documentary, claiming she was physically assaulted, forced to take medication, and placed in solitary confinement while enrolled in behavior modification programs.

She later said her parents had been told that "tough love" was the only solution and that the experience continues to affect her years later.

Since speaking publicly, Hilton has become one of the leading advocates for reform of the troubled teen industry. She testified before Congress in 2024 and has supported legislative efforts across several states aimed at strengthening oversight of private youth treatment facilities.

Separately, Utah health officials recently imposed temporary restrictions on Provo Canyon School's boys' campus in Provo after an investigation found staff failed to protect a resident during a fight and did not seek immediate medical care for his injuries. The campus remains open but is not accepting new admissions.