Utah revokes Springville’s Provo Canyon School license

SALT LAKE CITY — Provo Canyon School’s Springville campus license has been revoked by the state of Utah after several recent and years-old allegations of abuse.

The revocation by the Department of Health and Human Services was issued Monday; however, the behavioral health facility has until Aug. 6 of this year to terminate all services and to stop taking in any new enrollments. 

The notice asks the youth treatment facility to notify parents or guardians of each student enrolled at the school of the license revocation. The school must also post the notice on a site to be viewed by the public.

Persistent allegations

The decision to revoke the Springville location’s license came after years of abuse allegations from former students and their families. The department said it was “taking this action because of (Provo Canyon School’s) failure to provide applicable health and safety services for clients.”

Celebrity advocate Paris Hilton is one of those former students. She attended Provo Canyon School in Springville and has spoken publicly about her time there, claiming she also experienced abuse at the youth treatment facility as a teenager.

The department’s notice stated it “considers the ‘(school’s) chronic, ongoing noncompliance with applicable rules, statutes, or requirements’ when taking any action against the (school).'”

From failing to increase the staff-to-client ratio as needed to failing to protect clients from harm, several instances were noted by the department after it reviewed the school’s compliance history.

On Feb. 5, 2025, the Springville campus’ license was placed on conditional status and was extended on May 05, 2025, “when the (school) failed to protect a client from physical mistreatment caused by staff,” according to the department.

Provo campus violations

On June 17, the department also imposed immediate conditions on the license of Provo Canyon School’s Provo campus after an inspection found three instances of the school being out of compliance with existing rules.

In one instance, the department noted an investigator found the school “failed to summon emergency medical services for a minor client who was rendered unconscious and sustained severe head and facial injuries during a physical assault.”

The investigator said the school delayed medical treatment by deciding to take the client to the hospital using a non-medical transport company.

The second instance was “for failing to ensure that each client has the right to be free from potential harm or acts of violence,” the department noted.

According to the investigator, school surveillance footage showed a client starting a confrontation with another client at the school.

“A staff member attempted to intervene, extending her arm, but was pushed aside,” the department’s notice said. “Staff failed to use behavior management training and perform appropriate holds and restraints in order to prevent harm to the client.”

The staff member who was pushed away called for help using a radio just as one client severely injured the other.

“The client lifted the other client up, slammed him onto the floor, and punched him in the face four times, rendering him unconscious, sustaining severe facial injuries and life-threatening head injuries,” the department stated.

In the final instance noted by the department’s investigator, the school allegedly failed to move a client after they and their family expressed concerns to the school.

“(The school) failed to act upon explicit safety concerns, peer threats of violence, and unit transfer requests communicated by a minor client and his legal guardian prior to a severe physical attack,” the notice stated. “The therapist confirmed these concerns and requests were brought to his attention, but the client was not moved.”

This story will be updated