- Utah officials revoked the residential treatment license for Provo Canyon School's Provo campus.
- With the earlier revocation of the school's Springville campus license, the program is closed.
- Celebrity entrepreneur Paris Hilton, who attended the school as a youth, applauded the shut down.
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services revoked the residential treatment license for Provo Canyon School’s Provo campus on Friday, effectively shutting down the embattled program.
The facility must stop providing all services by Aug. 16, according to DHHS. The state Division of Licensing and Background Checks had placed strict conditions on the Provo campus in June.
Friday’s action comes after the state issued a revocation letter to Provo Canyon School’s Springville campus July 6.
With the revocation of the Provo campus license, the school is no longer licensed to operate in Utah.
“No child should be hurt in a program that is meant to protect them; particularly programs that require the authorization of the state to operate,” Shannon Thoman-Black, state licensing and background checks director, said in a statement.
“It is our job to make sure that programs comply with administrative rules and regulations designed to provide a healthy and safe environment for those in care. These rules and regulations are fundamental safeguards to protect vulnerable people being served in facilities or programs.”
What Paris Hilton says about the closure
Celebrity entrepreneur Paris Hilton, who has described being abused at the school in the 1990s, has lobbied for some time to close the school.
“Provo Canyon School underestimated me. They messed with the wrong girl, and with thousands of survivors who refused to stay silent,” she said in a Friday statement.
“Today, I can finally say the words I’ve been fighting to say for years: Provo Canyon School is officially shut down.”
The decision comes after Hilton joined two families and their attorneys at a press conference on June 15 in Provo announcing lawsuits against Provo Canyon School and its parent company, Universal Health Services. The event highlighted recent allegations involving delays in medical care, as well as broader concerns about the treatment of youth in residential treatment facilities and the need for greater accountability across the troubled teen industry.
Hilton said this isn’t the end of her fight against abuse at teen treatment centers.
“I will never stop fighting until every child is safe and every abusive facility is held accountable. If you are hurting children, know this: Survivors are coming, we are not backing down, and we will not stop until all youth are safe,” Hilton said.
The Disability Law Center of Utah said it is pleased with the closure of the school in a statement. It urged the state to continue to take action against unsafe facilities, and “not to wait until the harm rises to the level it has at PCS before taking whatever action is necessary to protect children.”
What happens next?
The Office of Licensing and Background Checks will go to the school at least once a week between now and Aug. 16 to monitor, according to the DHHS statement. The school has 15 days to request an administrative hearing if it disagrees with the ruling on its Provo campus license.
The notice from the health department listed multiple noncompliance citations against the campus from March 23, 2026 to July 17, 2026.
“We disagree with the state’s decision regarding the license for Provo Canyon School’s Provo Campus and are carefully reviewing all available legal and administrative avenues, including the appeals process,” Staci Bradley, the school’s business development director, said in a statement. “As this matter is ongoing, we cannot offer further comment at this time.”