Paris Hilton is calling for the closure of Provo Canyon School after she alleged she was physically and mentally abused there.
The 39-year-old socialite and DJ was sent to the school – which focuses on behavioural and mental development – for almost a year when she was 17, and revealed in her recent documentary, ‘This Is Paris’, that she experienced "continuous torture" whilst attending the school.
Now, in a video uploaded to her YouTube Channel, Paris is advocating for the closure of the school in order to stop other children from enduring the same alleged violence she did.
She said in the 50-second clip: "I was abused at Provo Canyon School, and now I’m taking action alongside my fellow survivors to make a change.
"Survivors, let’s work together to ensure no child ever has to endure the levels of abuse and hardships we had to go through.
"I pledge to advocate for all the survivors and put all of my effort into reforming the industry to ensure that no more children are harmed by these for-profit companies."
Paris went on to ask viewers to sign a Change.org petition that is quickly approaching 40,000 signatures, which calls for the closure of the school.
She added: "This [petition] is the first step we’re making toward positive social change. This petition is just the beginning, and I’m so proud to be breaking code silence. We believe that shutting down Provo Canyon School will be the domino effect we need to create real change. We need your help. Please stand with us, and let’s shut Provo down."
In her initial claims against the school, Paris said she had regular "panic attacks" whilst at the school, and alleged she "felt like a prisoner" during her 11-month stay.
The ‘Simple Life’ alum also said she was "cut off" from her parents, and was unable to tell them what was happening because the staff would "rip up" her letters.
She said: "I didn’t really get to speak to my family. Maybe once every two or three months. We were cut off from the outside world. And when I tried to tell them once, I got in so much trouble I was scared to say it again. They would grab the phone or rip up letters I wrote telling me, ‘No one is going to believe you.’ And the staff would tell the parents that the kids were lying. So my parents had no idea what was going on."
After coming forward with her allegations, Provo Canyon School claimed the school changed ownership in 2000 – which was one year after Paris left – so "cannot comment" on previous operations.