Paris Hilton said this week that male staff members of Provo Canyon School in Utah had sexually assaulted her and other female students by forcing them to perform cervical exams when she was a teenager.

At the age of 16, Hilton’s parents sent her to Provo Canyon School; she left the school after 11 months and went back to her parent’s house.

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The reality TV star admitted to trying for years to block out the incidents in an interview with the New York Times, but now that she is an adult, she is certain it was sexual abuse.

Hilton continued to speak about her experience on Twitter, writing: “At Provo Canyon School, I was woken up in the middle of the night by male staff who ushered me into a private room and performed cervical exams on me in the middle of the night.” 

“Sleep-deprived & heavily medicated, I didn’t understand what was happening. I was forced to lie on a padded table, spread my legs & submit to cervical exams. I cried while they held me down & said, “No!” They just said, “Shut up. Be quiet. Stop struggling or you’ll go to Obs. This was a recurring experience not only for me but for other #survivors. I was violated & I am crying as I type this because no one, especially a child, should be sexually abused. My childhood was stolen from me & it kills me this is still happening to other innocent children.” 

“It’s important to open up about these painful moments so I can heal & help put an end to this abuse. Watch the @NYTimes video that shares my story & deeply disturbing information about Provo Canyon School’s owners Universal Health Services. Help me #ShutDownProvo #UHSTakeAction,” Hilton concluded.

Where is Provo Canyon School?

Provo Canyon School, a residential treatment program offering year-round academics and attention to the needs of troubled youth, is situated in Provo, Utah. Universal Health Services (UHS) has owned and run the school since 2000. The school employs the Acuity Based Care (ABC) model to recognize and reevaluate the strengths and needs of its students. The interventions offered to students are varied and include recreational and occupational therapy, individual, group, and art therapy, as well as substance abuse therapy.

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The Provo Canyon School (PCS) provides students with a range of education programs, such as career guidance, competitive sports, special education, and more. The Northwest Accreditation Commission has granted PCS full accreditation.

The school has faced numerous individual and class-action lawsuits since its inception, especially in the 1980s and 1990s. These lawsuits covered a wide range of issues, including intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, loss of parental consortium, and verbal, physical, and sexual abuse in addition to medical negligence, invasion of privacy, and the First Amendment rights of students.