Strict conditions placed on Provo Canyon School license by Utah regulators

SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Department of Health and Human Services Division of Licensing and Background Checks (DLBC) has placed immediate conditions on the license of the Provo campus of the Provo Canyon School.

The state action follows an investigation into a May 18, 2026, incident that revealed severe safety failures. Investigators determined that facility staff failed to protect a minor resident during a physical assault and subsequently delayed emergency medical care by calling a non-medical transport company instead of summoning 911. Additionally, administrators failed to act on documented safety concerns and transfer requests submitted by the resident and their guardian prior to the assault.

“No child should ever be harmed in programs meant to protect them,” DLBC Director Shannon Thoman-Black said. “Our role is to hold providers to the highest standards of safety, and we will use every regulatory tool available to ensure vulnerable youth are protected.”

The formal Notice of Agency Action places 10 immediate conditions on the facility’s license. Under these terms, Provo Canyon School, Provo campus, must immediately halt all new admissions and readmissions, cooperate with increased unannounced state inspections, and pay the costs associated with those inspections.

The facility is also required to:

• Report each safety concern reported by a client, parent, or guardian to DLBC.
• Revise its emergency policies to permit and encourage staff to call 911 immediately when safety is at risk, bypassing internal notification chains.
• Create a comprehensive threat assessment and violence prevention policy.
• Provide written notification of these license conditions to all current clients and guardians within five calendar days.
• Post the official Notice of Agency Action on-site and on the homepage of each of its websites within five business days.

DLBC will closely monitor the facility to ensure strict compliance with all mandated conditions. A primary purpose for the conditions is to provide the additional oversight a sanctioned program needs to keep their clients safe.

For more information, to review the official Notice of Agency Action, or to report a safety concern regarding a licensed program, residents can visit the department’s website at dlbc.utah.gov or contact the Office of Licensing at (801) 538-4242.