Kanye West is facing some legal trouble.
As you most likely know, the 45-year-old rapper opened his private school called Donda Academy in Simi Valley, California, in 2022 for those in pre-kindergarten through 12th grade. Ever since the establishment opened its doors, very few details have come out about what happens inside the place. Later on, a report came out that the reason there is very little information about the school was that families were required to sign nondisclosure agreements when their kids were enrolled. But now, two former teachers from the Donda Academy have come forward with some bombshell allegations about the goings-on inside the halls in a new lawsuit against Kanye and three of the school directors!
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline on Thursday, Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers are suing the record producer, claiming they were abruptly fired from their teaching positions in March 2023 without any reason given to them at the time. However, the two felt their termination came down to two reasons: racial discrimination and the fact that they voiced their concerns over alleged code violations multiple times.
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In the lawsuit, Hailey said she started working at Donda Academy as a substitute teacher in November 2022 before being hired as a third-grade teacher. Meanwhile, Byers began at the place as a fifth-grade teacher in January 2023. They both said they were the only Black teachers.
When Hailey began her job last year, she shared in the suit that it did not take long before she noticed several health and safety violations, plus unlawful educational practices and odd rules in place at Donda. One of those violations included that the school was not following state regulations, such as the teachers were not required to have Basic Life Support training. The two women said there was a lack of safety at the school, as several students were bullying and attacking other kids and teachers – with no disciplinary actions being taken. The suit states:
“Specifically, they complained that DONDA ACADEMY does not have a proper disciplinary system, as students were being subject to severe bullying. In one incident, a student assaulted an eighth-grade student by slapping her, then attempted to assault another teacher. The student had multiple accounts of bullying, both physically and verbally, that had gone without discipline. However, there are several students with bullying issues that remain unaddressed. Plaintiff BYERS complained that the student who became violent should be expelled from DONDA ACADEMY.”
OMG!??
Per TMZ, Hailey and Byers alleged that the school doors were locked from the outside throughout the school day – meaning the students were not allowed out until it was time to go home. They also had lunch/recess indoors. When the kids eventually were able to leave, the suit noted that “students were allowed to be picked up from the school campus by strangers, as there were no policies in place otherwise,” adding:
“Parents, children from other schools, and even random strangers could come and go at will without ever having to sign-in or sign-out or notify anyone.”
What the f**k?! That is so dangerous!? Furthermore, the pair mentioned the school had no janitorial services or school nurses. Medications were also stored in an unsecured closet and with other expired medications mixed in. And since Kanye “did not believe in” certain chemical cleaning products, they said, “teachers were only allowed to clean with acid water and microfiber cloths,” adding:
“There were no trash cans outside of the classrooms or the kitchen.”
Other issues mentioned about the school were that the only lunch provided to the kids each day was sushi – and nothing else. Byers and Hailey claimed the students weren’t even allowed to bring their own lunches:
“Additionally, throughout the entirety of Plaintiffs’ employment, the only lunch available for students was sushi, every single day. Students were not allowed to bring any outside food or anything other than water. It was widely known that Defendant WEST spends $10,000.00 a week on sushi.”
That is beyond ridiculous. What would happen if a student was severely allergic to certain ingredients in sushi? What if they just did not want to eat sushi that day? Did the kids go hungry the rest of the day? If the school was only providing one lunch option, they at least needed to allow the children to bring their own lunch. Awful.
And there are more odd rules and regulations everyone were forced to follow. The lawsuit noted that all cups and bowls had to be gray, and Kanye did not want kids to use forks or utensils. No, we’re not joking. Kanye required all classes to be taught on the first floor, as he “reportedly did not want children or staff to go upstairs since he was reportedly afraid of stairs.”
Inside the classrooms, the former teachers claimed Kanye would not allow crossword puzzles, coloring sheets, and no color or artwork to be hung on the walls. He refused to have chairs in the room, forcing the kids to sit on foam cushions or stand. Meanwhile, the teachers were allowed to stand or use a stool. As for what they taught each day? Well, Byers and Hailey only brought up the fact that there were no lesson plans at all.
He also banned everyone from wearing jewelry since he “did not like jewelry,” as well as any pieces from the brands Nike and Adidas. They were also required to wear only black clothing.
This is just awful. Who would ever want to attend a school like this?! The women said that when they shared their concerns about what was happening at the school, the director called them “aggressive.” They explained in the suit they “believe this type of comment facilitates stereotypes about African-American women as being confrontational simply for doing their job and voicing their legitimate concerns in order to provide a safe environment and proper education for their students.” Ultimately, the duo was fired.
They are blaming their sudden termination on retaliation and racial discrimination. As Hailey’s attorney, Ron Zambrano, said:
“Kanye West is clearly as bad at running a school as he is at managing his own personal and professional life, enabling an unsafe and illegal school environment for students that also discriminated against the plaintiffs based on their race.”
Byers and Hailey, who also claimed their paychecks were usually short $2,700 each pay period, are asking for an unspecified amount in damages. At this time, Kanye has not responded to the allegations against Donda Academy. Reactions, Perezcious readers? Sound OFF in the comments below.
[Image via WENN]
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