Full Breakdown
Utah Revokes License for Provo Canyon School’s Provo Campus
7/18/2026, 6:52:40 AM
Core Event
On Friday, June 2026, the Utah Department of Health and Human Services revoked the operating license for the Provo Canyon School’s Provo campus. The decision cited more than a dozen non-compliance citations, including failure to protect a client from potential harm or violence and the use of “cruel and unnecessary practice on a child.” The school must cease services by August 15, 2026, and is subject to weekly state monitoring. It has 15 days to request a hearing and is reviewing legal and administrative appeals.
Background & Context
Provo Canyon School is a for-profit psychiatric residential treatment facility for youth ages 12-18, part of a broader “troubled-teen” industry in which Utah has played a prominent role. Media personality Paris Hilton, who spent nearly a year at the school in the late 1990s, has publicly described severe abuse there and has testified before Congress and state legislatures. Her advocacy contributed to protective legislation in Utah and in more than a dozen other states. In June 2026, Hilton returned to the campus to support two families filing lawsuits alleging mistreatment of their children.
Official Statements & Responses
Shannon Thoman-Black, director of the division of licensing and background checks, emphasized that state-authorized programs must not harm children. The school’s director of business development, Staci Bradley, said the institution disagrees with the revocation and is evaluating all legal and administrative options, including an appeal. State officials will continue weekly inspections while the licensing decision is contested.
Criticism & Opposition
Hilton alleges that staff members beat her, watched her shower, administered unknown pills, and confined her in solitary without clothing. She described the revocation as bringing “peace” and declared that “no child will ever have to endure what we did at Provo Canyon School again.” Her statements underscore ongoing concerns about the treatment of teens in such facilities.
Verbatim Quotes
- “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, Director, Utah Department of Health and Human Services
- “This horrific chapter of abuse, neglect, and trauma has finally come to an end,” — Paris Hilton, Media Personality
- “Today means no child will ever have to endure what we did at Provo Canyon School again,” — Paris Hilton
- “are carefully reviewing all available legal and administrative avenues, including the appeals process.” — Staci Bradley, Director of Business Development, Provo Canyon School
What’s Next
The school must halt operations by August 15, 2026, and may file a hearing request by mid-June. Weekly state inspections will continue during the appeal period, and any further licensing actions will depend on the outcome of the pending hearing.
