"Treatment Shouldn't Leave Survivors" | Reflecting on Paris Hilton's Peaceful Protest in Provo, Utah
"Treatment shouldn’t leave a community of survivors."
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On my show, Preacher Boys, I have been doing many episodes about the troubled teen industry.
When the documentary, This is Paris, came out - detailing Paris’ abuse at the hands of the Troubled Teen Industry, I knew I had to watch and discuss it.
Once I posted my episode on the subject, Paris reached out to me directly.
She filled me in on upcoming plans to combat the TTI, and then let me know that there would be a protest very soon in Provo, Utah.
It was an honor to join nearly one hundred survivors of the troubled teen industry, and it was incredible seeing firsthand how incredibly supportive this community is.
I live in Vegas, about 6 hours from Utah. I left in the morning and drove straight to our meeting point – a park in Provo – about a mile from Provo Canyon School, the last troubled teen program that Paris attended.
At the beginning of the gathering, we heard speeches from the team at Breaking Code Silence, a nonprofit working to expose abuse in the TTI.
I was also able to hear from a representative from Charlie Health – an organization that provides personalized mental health treatment for teens, young adults, and families.
One other standout for me was Allen Knoll, whom I was also able to meet personally. He is the author of Surviving Bethel, which is currently available on Amazon.
The most powerful moment of the day came as I stood in the park, surrounded by one hundred survivors, and the director of Breaking Code Silence began asking questions.
"If you were forcibly removed from your home, raise your hand."
"If you were physically abused, raise your hand."
"If you were sexually abused, raise your hand."
"If you weren't allowed to communicate with your parents, raise your hand."
"If you know someone who died in one of these homes, raise your hand."
"If you know someone who died due to depression from being in one of these homes, raise your hand."
Even though there were people from California, Utah, Nevada, Texas – and several other states, hands were going up for each abuse mentioned.
Not just one or two. With every question, a majority of this group raised their hand.
The reality was, although this group was incredibly diverse – their experiences were not.
My mind kept circling back to the statement from Craig Blake I cited earlier – "Treatment shouldn't leave a community of survivors."
If these homes were doing their job, there would have been a hundred people out there celebrating.
Families reunited.
Addictions conquered.
Lives changed.
But instead, it was people who overcame and succeeded in life despite these schools.
Those thoughts stayed with me as we began a silent, peaceful march.
We marched in front of the gated Provo Canyon School. A single security truck sat in front of the entrance. There was eerily not a child in sight.
As we circled back around to the park, we heard powerful testimonies from the people who had survived these homes.
As the event drew near a close, I spent time talking with many of these incredible people personally.
I got to meet recent Preacher Boys guest Hannah Kay – who has been an outspoken advocate against the TTI, amassing nearly 60k TikTok followers on her account, @hwy89survival.
And then, of course, I met Paris Hilton.
I have to say, she's one of the most down to earth people that I've ever met. When someone has as high a level of success and platform as she does – or even far less so – you can expect some sense of arrogance or pride – I felt none of that with her. She was incredibly approachable, kind, and made time for every single person who approached her.
Talking to Paris, I didn't feel like I was talking to a celebrity – I talked to a survivor who found her voice and was leading the charge for change. The same way I feel talking to incredible women and advocates like Amanda Householder and Hannah Kay.
It's clear she's taking this very seriously, and I'm very excited to see how I can continue to help raise the alarm a little alongside her and Breaking Code Silence.






