Paris Hilton backs West Virginia bill addressing child protection in institutions

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — Celebrity Paris Hilton is pushing West Virginia lawmakers to better protect children in residential treatment institutions.

She wrote a letter to the Senate Health and Human Resources Committee this week, supporting West Virginia Senate Bill 817 which is aiming to prevent abuse from prevailing in these adolescent institutions.

“I write to you not only as a public figure but as a survivor and an advocate for the thousands of young people who continue to endure abuse in the shadows of unregulated residential treatment facilities,” Hilton wrote.

In the letter, Hilton wrote that she fully supports SB 817 because she herself underwent physical, psychological, sexual and emotional abuse in a similar facility as a teenager. This past year, she helped lobby to pass the “Stop Institutional Child Abuse Act” addressing the need for oversight in residential facilities on a national scale.

West Virginia Sen. Laura Chapman is the lead sponsor of SB 817.

“We’re just trying to stop institutional abuse. Our children are really hurting in West Virginia,” Sen. Chapman said. “Of course, we have substance issues with even our children. So if they are sent to these programs, we need to make sure they are properly cared for, not transferring any type of abuse towards them in those programs.”

Sen. Chapman herself was inspired to introduce this bill because of Paris Hilton’s story.

“Of course, she’s been very vocal about it. She wrote a book actually, and I listened to that book. It’s terrible. She’s an heiress to the Hilton fortune, and she was horribly abused in a program like what we have in West Virginia. So, if it can happen to her, it can happen to anyone,” Sen. Chapman said.

“I’m part of the Future Caucus. It’s a national organization of young leaders and so, I heard more about this bill at a conference sponsored by them,” Sen. Chapman said. “So, it immediately sparked my interest and I was happy to run it out of our committee.”

If passed into law, SB 817 would require all state facilities to become licensed and better regulated to prevent child abuse. As it stands, these facilities are not currently licensed in West Virginia.

“It’s kind of insane that these aren’t already licensed. There’s definitely a need. Of course, we’ve heard about the horrible stories at Miracle Meadows, that is now no longer in existence. These places do exist. We need to make sure they are regulated and licensed,” Sen. Chapman said.

Miracle Meadows, a former boarding school in Harrison County shut down in 2014 because of “widespread sexual, physical and mental abuse.” Dozens of children came forward. The most recent lawsuit settled in 2023 for $100 million.

Paris Hilton and Sen. Chapman mentioned what happened at Miracle Meadows as a prime example of why West Virginia needs accountability for these institutions.

This bill would also allow parents to remove their child from the program if needed, and it would allow unsupervised and confidential calls with parents each week. In the bill, it says institutions would require all children to have access to a child abuse hotline

“These children have to have a way to report abuse, and they also have to be able to contact their families. They do also, we have a fundamental right to an education in West Virginia that can’t be deprived of these children. They’re also not going to be subject to physical discipline or the threat of physical discipline. We need to make sure our children who are int these programs are treated properly and do get the best treatment that they can,” Sen. Chapman said.

This bill must pass the House and be approved by Gov. Morrisey (R) to take effect.

This bill does not apply to recreational facilities. It is more directed towards residential programs, specifically addressing mental and behavioral health.