Paris Hilton has spoken out after Utah officials revoked the operating license of Provo Canyon School, the residential treatment facility where she has long alleged she suffered abuse as a teenager.
The decision follows an investigation that identified multiple violations at the Springville campus. State officials cited failures including inadequate staffing, unnecessary physical restraints, neglect of patient care, delayed employee background checks, and other health and safety concerns.
Earlier this year, temporary restrictions were imposed after authorities said staff failed to secure immediate medical treatment for a student who suffered serious injuries. The latest enforcement action officially ends the school’s license to operate.
Reacting to the decision, Hilton described it as an important moment for survivors who have shared accounts of abuse over several decades. She said the state’s findings confirmed what many former students had been saying for years about the conditions inside the facility.
Hilton has previously alleged that while attending the school in the late 1990s, she experienced physical abuse, forced medication, invasive supervision, and prolonged solitary confinement. She has since become a leading advocate for stronger oversight of youth residential treatment centers.
The entrepreneur and media personality said she understands what it feels like to ask for help without being heard and expressed hope that children currently in similar facilities will receive better protection in the future.
Utah has long faced scrutiny over its troubled teen industry, which includes numerous privately operated residential treatment programs. Hilton has played a key role in bringing renewed public attention to the issue through advocacy campaigns and legislative efforts.
The closure of Provo Canyon School represents a significant development in that movement, with many survivors viewing it as a step toward greater accountability and meaningful reform.