Utah boarding school where Paris Hilton alleged abuse as a teen loses its licence

Image source, Getty ImagesByNardine SaadPublished2 hours agoA girls' boarding school where US socialite Paris Hilton alleged she was abused as a teenager has had its licence revoked.Utah state regulators cited unnecessary restraint, aggressive physical contact and instances of neglect among noncompliance issues at Provo Canyon School's Springville campus going back to 2025.Hilton, who has campaigned to close the school and testified before Congress about her experience there in the 1990s, said the facility "failed the children in its care". The school said it was considering an appeal against the decision. The girls' facility is described on its website as an intensive, psychiatric youth residential treatment centre for girls 12 to 18.The Utah Department of Health and Human services (DHHS) said the school had "failed to provide applicable health and safety services for clients".Its residential treatment licence has been cancelled and all services at the campus must be terminated by 6 August, said the letter, external from state regulators.The school has 15 days to challenge the decision.Social media personality Hilton, 45, said in a statement to the BBC: "For more than fifty years, children came forward with stories of abuse, neglect, and trauma. "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." Figure caption, Watch: Paris Hilton recounts childhood abuse to US CongressShe added that no institution was too powerful to be held accountable: "When survivors refuse to stay silent, change is possible."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."The school's programme has faced closure demands from former residents besides Hilton, and complaints were lodged to the state's licensing agency last month.Health officials have also imposed temporary restrictions on the school's boys' campus in Provo, Utah, in June.The boys campus "continues to serve those under our care, but is not permitted to accept new admissions at this time", its website notes.An inquiry found that staff had failed to protect a boy during a fight and did not seek immediate medical care for his injuries.Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Hotel heiress Paris Hilton outside the US Capitol on 17 December 2024.Hilton spent almost a year at the Springville, Utah, school in the 1990s, when the school was under different ownership. She spoke out about her experience during a documentary about her life released in 2020. She alleged that she was physically assaulted, made to take medication and placed in solitary confinement in programmes aimed at reforming her behaviour."My parents were promised that tough love would fix me and that sending me across the country was the only way," she said in 2021, adding that her experience at the facilities "haunts her to this day".The hotel heiress, who has advocated against the "troubled teen industry", testified in front of Congress in 2024 and across state legislatures to enact laws to protect teens from a network of private, for-profit centres for children with perceived behavioural issues. Related topicsUnited StatesCultureUtahTroubled US teens left traumatised by tough love campsPublished19 June 2021More on this storyParis Hilton pushes for US youth care abuse reformPublished20 October 2021