Provo Canyon School

Last updated

Provo Canyon School
Address
Provo Canyon School
  • Boy's campus: 4501 North University Ave, Provo, Utah 84604
  • Girl's campus: 763 North 1650 West, Springville, Utah 84663-5066

North central Utah

Utah county

United States
Information
Funding typePrivate
Religious affiliation(s)Nonsectarian
Founded1971 [1]
StatusOpen
AdministratorDave Campbell (girls campus)
Grades3 to 12
GenderMales and females
Age8to 17
Enrollment
  • ~97 (boys campus) [2] [3]
  • ~98 (girls campus) [4]
Capacity225 (combined)
Student to teacher ratio
  • ~8:1 (boys campus) [3] [2]
  • ~6:1 (girls campus) [4]
LanguageEnglish
Schedule typeDaily bell class rotation
ScheduleMonday through Friday
Hours in school day5.5
Campuses2
Campus typeRural
Accreditations The Joint Commission, The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), and Cognia:
Website Official website

Provo Canyon School (PCS) is a psychiatric youth involuntary residential treatment center in Provo, Utah, owned and operated by Universal Health Services (UHS) since 2000. [5] The involuntary residential program claims to use an "Acuity Based Care" (ABC) model that identifies and re-assesses the strengths and needs of its students. Residents instead receive a wide range of interventions including psychotropic drug therapy; use of physical restraints; humiliation; starvation; and solitary confinement. [6]

Contents

For nearly its entire history, the facility has faced multiple accusations of physical, psychological, and sexual abuse of its inmates. [6] These accusations gained renewed attention in 2020 when media personality Paris Hilton released a documentary detailing the abuse she and other former residents claimed to have faced at the facility. [7]

Charter Behavioral Health Systems owned and operated PCS until its bankruptcy in 2000, after which it was sold to UHS. [8]

History

On the 26th September 1978, The Daily Herald (Utah) reported three adolescents boys had attempted to escape from Provo Canyon School. During their escape, they stole a car which led to a high-speed chase. [9] Also during 1978, a lawsuit was filed by American Civil Liberties Union and Juvenile Justice Advocacy project arguing the people there were being subjected to cruel and unusual punishment and denied their constitutional rights. Such as being subjected to mail control and polygraph tests. [10]

In 1986, Provo Canyon school was bought by a company called Charter Behavioral Health Systems. [11]

On the 19th of February 2023, a report was filed with police that 6 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia had been found at the school. Police closed the case due to lack of evidence. [12] On 12th of April 2023, a riot broke out in the living quarters, residents were both staff and each other.

Education

PCS claims to offer year round academics to all of its residents. The school claims to offer a variety of educational programs to the students including career counseling, competitive sports, special education and more. PCS is fully accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission.

Abuse

Since its inception, the school has been subject to a large number of individual and class-action lawsuits, particularly throughout the 1980s and 1990s. These lawsuits ranged from verbal, physical, and sexual abuse and medical negligence, to violating students' First Amendment rights and invasion of privacy, to false imprisonment and battery, to intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, and loss of parental consortium. [13]

In September 2020, media personality and socialite Paris Hilton premiered her YouTube Originals documentary This Is Paris , in which she attributes her chronic insomnia to PTSD developed as a result of being sent to four different "troubled teen" industry programs: CEDU School in Running Springs, California, Ascent Wilderness Program in Ruby Ridge, Idaho, Cascade School in Whitmore, California, and Provo Canyon School. After escaping from the first three, she spent 11 months at PCS in the late 1990s. Hilton reported that she and other students were physically and psychologically abused. [14] [15] Some of the instances she details include how she and the other students were allegedly drugged with unknown medications, how she was allegedly restrained and forcibly transported to the school and how she was strip searched and placed in a seclusion room for nearly twenty-four hours. She describes PCS as "the worst of the worst" of all troubled youth facilities. [16] [17] [18]

In October 2020, tattoo artist and television personality Kat Von D alleged her parents sent her to the school for a three-week program, but she was ultimately there for six months. She claimed to witness students being force-fed medications, sedated, and isolated. Von D said that she left with "major PTSD and other traumas due to the unregulated, unethical and abusive protocols of this 'school'" and wrote that she couldn't "call them schools because they're not schools they're fucking lockdown facilities". Von D said that she was "spared of the sexual abuse and the physical abuse" but "definitely saw" it happen. [19]

On October 9, 2020, Hilton and a group of friends who attended PCS with her led a silent protest with hundreds of other protesters through the streets and neighborhoods of Provo, Utah to bring awareness to the facility. [20]

Notable staff

Robert Lichfield - Founder of World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools. [21]

Dr. D. Eugene Thorne - As head of Brigham Young University's psychology department, conducted electro-shock and vomiting aversion therapy experiments on gay and lesbian students. [22]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Provo, Utah</span> City in Utah, United States

Provo is a city in and the county seat of Utah County, Utah, United States. It is 43 miles (69 km) south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front, and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south. With a population at the 2020 census of 115,162, Provo is the fourth-largest city in Utah and the principal city in the Provo-Orem metropolitan area, which had a population of 526,810 at the 2010 census. It is Utah's second-largest metropolitan area after Salt Lake City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Salt Lake Community College</span> Public college in Salt Lake County, Utah, US

Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) is a public community college in Salt Lake County, Utah. It is the state's largest two-year college with the most diverse student body. It serves more than 60,000 students on 10 campuses as well as through online classes. The college has a student to faculty ratio of 20:1. Since SLCC is a community college, it focuses on providing associate degrees that students can transfer to any other four-year university in the state to satisfy their first two years of requirements for a bachelor's degree. SLCC has open enrollment and serves the local community, with approximately 95% of the student body considered Utah residents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Utah Tech University</span> University in St. George, Utah, United States

Utah Tech University (UT), formerly Dixie State University (DSU), is a polytechnic 4-year public university in St. George, Utah. The university offers doctoral degrees, master's degrees, bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, and certifications. As of fall 2022, there are 12,556 students enrolled at UT.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KBYU-TV</span> Independent TV station in Provo, Utah

KBYU-TV is a non-commercial educational independent television station licensed to Provo, Utah, United States, serving Salt Lake City and the state of Utah. The station is owned by Brigham Young University (BYU), an arm of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. KBYU-TV's studios are located on the BYU campus in Provo, and its transmitter is located on Farnsworth Peak in the Oquirrh Mountains, southwest of Salt Lake City.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Health Services</span> American hospital management company

Universal Health Services, Inc. (UHS) is an American Fortune 300 company that provides hospital and healthcare services, based in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. In 2023, UHS reported total revenues of $14.3b.

In the United States, a teen escort company, also called a youth transport firm, secure transport company is a business that specializes in transporting teenagers from their homes to various facilities. Such businesses typically employ a form of legal kidnapping, abducting sleeping teenagers and forcing them into a vehicle. Teen escort companies in the United States are subject to little or no government regulation and commonly result in permanent trauma.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris Hilton</span> American media personality (born 1981)

Paris Whitney Hilton is an American media personality, businesswoman, and socialite. Born in New York City, and raised there and in Los Angeles, she is a great-granddaughter of Conrad Hilton, the founder of Hilton Hotels. She first attracted tabloid attention in the late 1990s for her presence in NYC's social scene, ventured into fashion modeling in 2000, and was proclaimed "New York's leading It Girl" in 2001. The reality television series The Simple Life (2003–2007), in which she co-starred with her friend Nicole Richie, and a leaked 2003 sex tape with her then-boyfriend Rick Salomon, later released as 1 Night in Paris (2004), catapulted her to global fame.

The Provo City School District is a school district in Provo, Utah, United States, which has boundaries that almost entirely coincide with those of the city, except for one small portion.

Cross Creek Programs was a reform school facility in La Verkin, Utah, operated by the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS). It sometimes is referred to as two facilities, with the name Cross Creek Manor applied to the girls' program and the name Cross Creek Center used for the boys' program, which were originally in different locations. Cross Creek Academy and Browning Academy have been used as names for the academic program. Cross Creek Programs was founded in 1988 by Robert Lichfield and Brent Facer, originally only for girls. Before founding Cross Creek, Lichfield had worked at Provo Canyon School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CEDU</span> American private boarding school company

CEDU Educational Services, Inc., known simply as CEDU, was a company founded in 1967 by Mel Wasserman and associated with the troubled teen industry. The company owned and operated several therapeutic boarding schools licensed as group homes, wilderness therapy programs, and behavior modification programs in California and Idaho. The company's schools have faced numerous allegations of abuse. CEDU went out of business in 2005, amid lawsuits and state regulatory crackdowns.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paris Jackson</span> American model and musician (born 1998)

Paris-Michael Katherine Jackson is an American model, actress, and singer. She is the second child and only daughter of Michael Jackson and Debbie Rowe.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springville, Utah</span> City in Utah, United States

Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States, that is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 35,268 in 2020, according to the United States Census. Springville is a bedroom community for commuters who work in the Provo-Orem and Salt Lake City metropolitan areas. Other neighboring cities include Spanish Fork and Mapleton. Springville has the nickname of "Art City" or "Hobble Creek".

Elevations RTC is a residential treatment center in Syracuse, Utah, for teens ages 13–18. The facility was formerly known as Island View Residential Treatment Center until 2014, when it was acquired by Syracuse RTC, LLC, which does business as Elevations RTC. The Elevations campus is shared with Seven Stars and ViewPoint Center.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ryde</span>

The Ryde is a bus service that provides transportation to the Brigham Young University (BYU) community in Provo, Utah, United States. The service is owned and operated by Student Movement, Inc. (SMI) and operates under the brand, "The Ryde". Although The Ryde began as a limited service paid shuttle bus, in the fall of 2015 it expanded to limited-service bus routes that are free to BYU students.

Students identifying as LGBTQIA+ have a long, documented history at Brigham Young University (BYU), and have experienced a range of treatment by other students and school administrators over the decades. Large surveys of over 7,000 BYU students in 2020 and 2017 found that over 13% had marked their sexual orientation as something other than "strictly heterosexual", while the other survey showed that .2% had reported their gender identity as transgender or something other than cisgender male or female. BYU is the largest religious university in North America and is the flagship institution of the educational system of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints —Mormonism's largest denomination.

Robert Lichfield is the founder of World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stephen W. Owen</span>

Stephen W. Owen was the 22nd Young Men General President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 2015 to 2020.

Misha Osherovich is an American actor, filmmaker, and activist, known for their role as Josh Detmer in the film Freaky.

The troubled teen industry is a broad range of youth residential programs aimed at struggling teenagers. The term encompasses various facilities and programs, including youth residential treatment centers, wilderness programs, boot camps, and therapeutic boarding schools.

Cascade School was a therapeutic boarding school located in Shasta County, California.

References

  1. ↑ Caring for kids with special needs: Residential treatment programs for children and adolescents. Princeton, NJ: Peterson's. 1993. p. 446. ISBN   9781560791683.
  2. 1 2 "Provo Canyon School-provo Campus Profile (2021–22) | Provo, UT". Private School Review. December 24, 2023.
  3. 1 2 "Explore Provo Canyon School – Provo Campus". Niche.
  4. 1 2 "Explore Provo Canyon School – Orem Campus". Niche.
  5. ↑ "Provo canyon School Media Statement - Updated August 2021" (PDF).
  6. 1 2 Miller, Jessica (September 20, 2020). "Provo Canyon School's history of abuse accusations spans decades, far beyond Paris Hilton". The Salt Lake City Tribune . ISSN   0746-3502.
  7. ↑ Craft, Will (June 23, 2021). "The teen got a concussion. The school got a pass". APM Reports .
  8. ↑ Story, Louise (August 17, 2005). "A Business Built on the Troubles of Teenagers". The New York Times . ISSN   1553-8095. OCLC   1645522.
  9. ↑ "3 Juveniles Apprehended After High Speed Chase". Daily Herald (Utah) . September 26, 1978. ISSN   0891-2777. OCLC   52526615.
  10. ↑ "Provo Canyon School 10/6/1981". The Los Angeles Times. October 6, 1981. p. 2. Retrieved April 3, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Provo Canyon School's history of abuse accusations spans decades, far beyond Paris Hilton". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ "Provo Canyon School staffer died after campus assault — one of several recent police calls to Springville facility, records show". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved March 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ "The Cases Against Provo Canyon School". HEAL Online.
  14. ↑ Yasharoff, Hannah. "After alleging abuse at her old school, Paris Hilton isn't backing down". USA Today . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  15. ↑ Nolan, Emma (January 19, 2022). "Paris Hilton Reveals 'Living Nightmare' of Provo Canyon School in Podcast". Newsweek. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  16. ↑ Leasca, Stacey (August 22, 2020). "Paris Hilton Breaks Silence Over Abuse She Claims She Experienced at Boarding School". Yahoo Life . Retrieved February 16, 2021.
  17. ↑ Kaufman, Amy (September 25, 2020). "Surviving abuse bonded Paris Hilton and these four women for life". Los Angeles Times . ISSN   2165-1736. OCLC   3638237.
  18. ↑ Dunphey, Kyle (May 12, 2022). "After championing teen treatment reform in Utah, Paris Hilton meets with Congress to push for national oversight". Deseret News . Retrieved October 10, 2022.
  19. ↑ Ushe, Naledi (October 6, 2020). "Kat Von D says she went to same 'tortuous' boarding school as Paris Hilton, suffered 'major PTSD'". Fox News. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
  20. ↑ Corinthios, Aurelie (October 9, 2020). "Paris Hilton Planning Peaceful Protest of Utah School with Survivors of Alleged Abuse". People . Retrieved October 11, 2020.
  21. ↑ "Key to His School's Success? Its God, Founder Says". The Los Angeles Times. July 13, 2003. p. 21. ISSN   0458-3035. OCLC   3638237 . Retrieved December 6, 2023.
  22. ↑ "Nothing to Hide? What it means to be gay at BYU". Salt Lake City Weekly. July 7, 2001. Retrieved January 10, 2024.

40°10′40″N111°38′21″W / 40.17778°N 111.63917°W / 40.17778; -111.63917

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.