By the Education Magazine | July 9, 2026
The Utah Department of Health and Human Services ordered the Springville girls campus of Provo Canyon School to stop operating and relocate all remaining residents by August 6, 2026, after the Utah boarding school lost its licence over repeated health and safety violations identified by state investigators.
The decision follows months of inspections and years of public scrutiny surrounding the residential treatment centre. Here’s what led to the closure and why it matters.
What Is Provo Canyon School?
Provo Canyon School is a private Utah residential treatment center for teenagers with behavioural and mental health needs. The facility has faced years of public scrutiny over student welfare and has been the subject of lawsuits and boarding school abuse allegations under different ownership groups.
Timeline: How the Utah Boarding School Lost Its Licence
State records show the closure followed repeated compliance failures and a complaint filed by the Disability Law Center.
| Date | Key Event |
| Late 1990s | Paris Hilton attended the facility and later alleged abuse. |
| January 2025 | Investigators found a staff member struck a restrained resident. |
| May 2026 | Regulators imposed restrictions after staff failed to seek timely medical care for an injured youth. |
| June 2026 | A Disability Law Center complaint triggered a state inspection. |
| July 6, 2026 | Utah officially revoked the facility’s licence. |
| August 6, 2026 | Deadline for the campus to close and relocate all residents. |
Why the Utah Boarding School Loses Licence?
According to Utah’s Division of Licensing and Background Checks, investigators found repeated failures to meet required safety standards.
State officials cited:
- Failure to protect residents from harm.
- Unsafe restraint practices.
- Staff shortages that failed to meet required ratios.
- Missing incident records and documentation.
- Incomplete employee background checks.
The Utah boarding school loses licence following repeated violations, which led regulators to conclude that the girls’ residential campus could no longer operate safely.
How Paris Hilton Changed the Conversation
The Paris Hilton boarding school allegations brought international attention to the troubled teen industry. Hilton spent nearly 11 months at Provo Canyon School as a teenager and later testified before the United States Congress, calling for stronger oversight of youth residential treatment centres.
Her advocacy encouraged more former residents to share their experiences and pushed lawmakers to strengthen protections for young people in residential care.
“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. Today, children still inside that facility know someone is finally coming to protect them.”
- Paris Hilton, following the July 2026 state decision
Recent Legal Developments
In June 2026, Paris Hilton returned to Utah to support families who filed new civil lawsuits against the operator of Provo Canyon School.
The lawsuits alleged:
- Medical neglect of residents.
- Serious injuries suffered by teenagers.
- Ongoing concerns about student safety and care.
The lawsuits added to growing concerns surrounding the facility and increased scrutiny over its operations alongside the regulatory investigation.
What Happens Next?
State officials are overseeing the closure to ensure residents are moved safely.
The transition plan includes:
- Closing the girls’ campus by August 6, 2026.
- Weekly unannounced inspections until closure.
- A five-year ban on the operator applying for new care licences in Utah.
- No transfers of girls to the nearby boys’ campus because of existing licence restrictions.
Shannon Thoman-Black, Director of the Division of Licensing and Background Checks, said:
“It is actually incredibly unsafe if we were to go in and just stick a sign on the door and say, ‘Everybody out.’ We have the responsibility to make sure these kids get discharged into safe places.”
The Utah boarding school loses licence after years of safety concerns for students, regulatory investigations, and public scrutiny. While officials focus on safely relocating residents, the decision is expected to influence future oversight of residential treatment centres across the United States.
