diff --git a/CHANGES.rst b/CHANGES.rst
index 056b3b7b..d150ce00 100644
--- a/CHANGES.rst
+++ b/CHANGES.rst
@@ -4,6 +4,9 @@
 - Provide existing ``AsdfFile`` instance to ``validate`` to
   speed up assignment validation ``check_value``. [#276] 
 
+- Deprecate ``deprecate_class`` unused by downstream. [#274] 
+
+
 1.10.0 (2024-02-29)
 ===================
 
diff --git a/src/stdatamodels/jwst/datamodels/ramp.py b/src/stdatamodels/jwst/datamodels/ramp.py
index 48cf6892..45d71858 100644
--- a/src/stdatamodels/jwst/datamodels/ramp.py
+++ b/src/stdatamodels/jwst/datamodels/ramp.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
+import warnings
+
 from .model_base import JwstDataModel
-from stdatamodels.jwst.library.basic_utils import deprecate_class
+
 
 __all__ = ['RampModel', 'MIRIRampModel']
 
@@ -43,9 +45,14 @@ def __init__(self, init=None, **kwargs):
         self.err = self.err
 
 
-@deprecate_class(RampModel)
-class MIRIRampModel:
+class MIRIRampModel(RampModel):
     """A data model for 4D MIRI ramps.
 
     This model has been deprecated. Please use `RampModel` instead.
     """
+    def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
+        warnings.warn(
+            '"MIRIRampModel" is deprecated and will be removed. Use RampModel',
+            category=DeprecationWarning,
+        )
+        return super(MIRIRampModel, self).__init__(*args, **kwargs)
diff --git a/src/stdatamodels/jwst/library/basic_utils.py b/src/stdatamodels/jwst/library/basic_utils.py
index 5d53c940..1e3f9a1c 100644
--- a/src/stdatamodels/jwst/library/basic_utils.py
+++ b/src/stdatamodels/jwst/library/basic_utils.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 """General utility objects"""
 
+import warnings
+
 
 def deprecate_class(new_class,
                     message='"{old_class}" is deprecated and will be removed. Use {new_class}'):
@@ -14,6 +16,8 @@ def deprecate_class(new_class,
         The deprecation warning message
     """
 
+    warnings.warn("deprecate_class is deprecated and will be removed", DeprecationWarning)
+
     # Implement the inner decorator
     def _decorator(old_class):