By Annie Knox | Reporter
Advocates urging Utah to shut down a residential teen treatment center are a step closer to getting their wish. State regulators revoked another license from Provo Canyon School, moving to close down a campus for boys after doing the same for a girls’ campus earlier this month.
The moves follows reports of violence and poor medical care at Provo Canyon School — and calls from one of its former residents, Paris Hilton, for the school to be shuttered.
In this weekend’s Dispatch, we cover why the state says it pulled the license, and bring you the week’s top stories, including President Donald Trump’s orders slashing two national monuments in Utah and Utah leaders’ plans to buy and preserve more land near the shores of the Great Salt Lake.
“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 of Utah’s Division of Licensing and Background Checks, said in reference to Provo Canyon School.
Demonstrators at a news conference make a show of support for parents suing the Provo Canyon School on June 15, 2026. (Annie Knox, Utah News Dispatch)
By Alixel Cabrera
State officials reported multiple incidents starting in March of this year in which the school was cited for violating rules, including failing to protect clients from potential harm or acts of violence, as well as staff members not following behavior management policies and safe practices.
However, most incidents that led to the decision were recorded on Friday, and include “using a cruel, unusual, or unnecessary practice on a child by withholding personal interaction, emotional response, or stimulation,” as well as “depriving clients of water, rest, and the opportunity for toileting,” according to the revocation letter.
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