Paris Hilton has described herself as feeling “so validated” after Utah authorities revoked the licence of a residential treatment facility where she has long alleged she suffered abuse as a teenager.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services announced on 6 July that the Springville campus of Provo Canyon School had lost its operating licence with immediate effect. The agency cited repeated failures to meet health and safety standards, as well as a pattern of ongoing non-compliance with state regulations.
Under the order, the facility must stop admitting new students immediately and cease all services by 6 August.
Reacting to the decision, Hilton said the move represented justice not only for herself but also for countless former students who have spent years speaking publicly about their experiences.
“For more than 50 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,” she said in a statement.
Hilton, who has repeatedly alleged she was abused during the 11 months she spent at the school as a teenager, said the decision brought emotional closure.
“The little girl in me who was told she would never be believed feels so validated today. We were telling the truth. We always were,” she said, adding that the action proved “no institution is too powerful to be held accountable.”
The state agency’s findings include alleged failures to protect residents from harm, inadequate staffing levels and multiple breaches of health and safety requirements.
The latest enforcement action follows previous sanctions against the school. Last month, Utah officials imposed additional licence conditions over safety concerns, while local media also reported emergency sanctions linked to allegations that staff delayed medical treatment for a resident. Separate lawsuits have also accused the facility of failing to protect students from harm and delaying urgent medical care.
Hilton first publicly detailed her allegations in the 2020 documentary This Is Paris, claiming she endured verbal, physical and psychological abuse while attending the school. She also alleged she was placed in solitary confinement, suffered frequent panic attacks and was unable to tell her parents what was happening because her communications were closely monitored.
In later interviews, Hilton alleged she experienced invasive medical examinations during her time at the facility, which she has since described as sexual abuse.
Following the release of the documentary, Provo Canyon School said it could not comment on allegations relating to the period before its current owners took over the facility in August 2000. The school has also denied using solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure or condoning any form of abuse, stating that all suspected abuse is reported to the relevant authorities and that it remains committed to providing appropriate care for young people with emotional, behavioural and psychiatric needs.
Hilton has since become one of the most prominent advocates for reforming youth residential treatment facilities in the United States. Her campaign contributed to growing national attention on the issue, culminating in the passage of the Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act by the US Senate in December 2024 after years of advocacy by survivors and campaigners.
