After abuse allegations: Utah revokes license of Paris Hilton's former school

Paris Hilton responded to the decision with a mix of relief and a rallying cry. "Das kleine Mädchen in mir, dem gesagt wurde, dass man ihm nie glauben würde, fühlt sich heute so bestätigt," she told the U.S. magazine "People." Finally the children there would be gotten out. That was "ein starker Schritt zum Schutz zukünftiger Generationen."

Hilton's testimony at the 2024 hearing

Back in 2020, Hilton had publicly revealed in her documentary "This is Paris" that she had experienced abuse and violence in facilities for troubled teens. At a 2024 hearing in Washington, she described her experiences once again in detail. "Ich wurde zwangsweise mit Medikamenten vollgepumpt und vom Personal sexuell missbraucht," the mother of two said. Instead, she had not been allowed to speak freely or move freely for two years, Hilton reported.

Her parents had known nothing of any of it, Hilton went on. They had been deceived by the operators of the facilities – by a "gewinnorientierte Industrie," as Hilton put it. "Diese Programme versprachen Heilung, Wachstum und Unterstützung," Hilton said at a 2024 hearing in Washington.

Provo Canyon School: Background of the facility

The Provo Canyon School was described by the ABC network as a private facility in Springville, Utah. According to reports, parents had filed lawsuits against the school. The precise allegations and circumstances of the proceedings have not been made public beyond the U.S. media coverage.

Hilton addressed the public directly via her Instagram account. "Dafür habe sie 'gekämpft und gebetet'," the former "It Girl" wrote on Instagram. She thanked those affected who had spoken out "mutig" over the years. Hilton has for years been considered one of the best-known voices in the debate over the so-called "Troubled-Teen-Industry" – a term for an entire network of private schools, boot camps, and therapeutic facilities in which youth with behavioral issues are placed.

Political dimension: Hilton's fight before Congress

"Mehr als fünfzig Jahre lang haben Kinder Geschichten von Missbrauch, Vernachlässigung und Trauma vorgebracht," Hilton told the U.S. magazine "People." She had been one of those children. Her testimony is part of a broader political debate in the United States over oversight, control, and standards of such facilities.

Since 2020, Hilton has repeatedly appeared before the U.S. Congress in Washington to call for stricter controls. She has described her own story there on several occasions and pointed out abuses to lawmakers from both parties. She viewed the current license revocation as confirmation of this political work.

The Provo Canyon School is among the better-known cases in the U.S. debate over problematic youth welfare facilities. In Utah, several similar incidents at private schools and so-called "Behavioral-Health" facilities have occurred in recent years. The state is among the locations where a particularly large number of such facilities are based – and has therefore repeatedly come under criticism from children's rights organizations.

Reactions and outlook

As U.S. media further reported, the Department of Health and Human Services pointed to violations and deficiencies at the facility when revoking the license, including the inadequate medical care of the students. Details of the specific requirements alleged to have been violated were not broken down in the available reports.

The closure of the Provo Canyon School does not, in Hilton's words, mean the end of her advocacy. In earlier statements she had already announced that she would continue to push for reforms. She wanted to prevent further children from suffering in comparable facilities, she told "People" magazine.

Hilton's engagement on the issue has noticeably changed public perception of the so-called "Troubled-Teen-Industry" in the United States. Before her documentary, the subject was known mainly to those affected and to experts. Through the media reach of the entrepreneur, it also moved into the broader political debate.

On social media, the news of the license revocation triggered mixed reactions. Alongside approving comments on Hilton's engagement, former students of other facilities also spoke up and described similar experiences. The reports are part of a growing body of data on which political reform efforts are drawing.

What consequences the closure of the Provo Canyon School will have for the youth still placed there is not made clear from the available reports. U.S. media spoke of the children being "endlich herausgeholt." How the placement and further care of the affected youth will be organized remained open in the reports.

Looking ahead to the coming months, observers in Washington announced further political initiatives. Hilton had already made clear in earlier statements that she does not intend to settle for isolated cases. Her goal is a fundamental rethink in the oversight of youth welfare facilities.