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Kanye West's Donda Academy Sued for Alleged Education and Safety Violations
Two former employees of Donda Academy are taking Kanye West to court.
Teachers Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers, who worked at Ye’s Christian prep school, claim they were fired in March 2023 because of their race and for retaliation after they reported alleged code violations.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by Page Six, the women were the only Black, female teachers employed by Donda Academy when they were hired full-time earlier this year.
They reported numerous health and safety violations as well as unlawful educational practices to the school’s principal, but claim nothing was ever done.
Among the claims are that students only had one meal option per day, which was sushi, and were prohibited from bringing in outside food. The suit alleges that Kanye spent $10,000 a week on sushi.
The teachers say West did not allow crossword puzzles or coloring sheets and would not allow kids to go outside during the day, even for lunch or recess. Classes could not take place on the second floor because Kanye was “afraid of stairs,” and he didn’t want children using forks or utensils.
Additionally, the school didn’t have a janitor or a school nurse and children’s medication was “stored in the janitorial closet.” The doors to the unaccredited Simi Valley, Calif. school were allegedly locked from the outside, creating a fire hazard.
The suit also alleges that there were no lesson plans or proper disciplinary procedures in place, resulting in students going undisciplined for bullying and physically assaulting their peers and teachers.
The women say they were ultimately fired and were often shorted up to $2,700 per paycheck. They are suing for wrongful termination and are seeking monetary damages from Kanye and Donda Academy.
The school’s principal responded to the teachers’ complaints, calling them “aggressive in the presence of others.”
Donda Academy temporarily closed in the fall amid West’s anti-Semitic outbursts, while some of the faculty quit in protest. At the time, there were about 100 students in total, with half on scholarships. The others were reportedly paying $15,000 a year in tuition.