Kanye West’s private Christian prep school violated numerous health and safety standards and employs bizarre rules — dictating cleaning services are forbidden, doors were to be locked from the outside and students get fed just one sushi meal per day, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday.
Two former teachers at the Donda Academy in California’s Simi Valley allege they were fired after complaining about potential dangers to students including code violations, according to the LA County wrongful termination suit.
The educators, Cecilia Hailey and her daughter Chekarey Byers, claim during their time at the little-known school, it was locked from outside with kids forced to remain indoors all day, creating a fire hazard, according to the suit.
Medications were also stored haphazardly, there was no school nurse on site, and janitorial services were forbidden because “West did not believe in cleaning products containing chemicals,” the lawsuit states.
“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,” attorney Ron Zambrano, a lawyer for the teachers, said in a statement.
At the non-accredited school, named after the troubled rapper’s late mother, there are no tables or chairs and students are instructed to sit on the floor to eat sushi for lunch every day — an expense West spent $10,000 per week on, according to the suit.
Other strange rules included crossword puzzles and artwork are not allowed to be hung on walls and students being barred from the second floor because West “was reportedly afraid of stairs,” according to the suit.
The school also failed to follow nutritional guidelines and had a lack of security, with students allowed to be picked up by strangers, the court papers state.
In early 2023, Hailey and Byers, who are both black, complained to Donda Academy’s principal that the school had “unlawful educational practices.”
During the meeting, they cited lack of discipline that had allegedly led to “severe bullying…that had gone without” punishment, along with concerns about the school’s cleanliness.
Instead of taking action, the principal allegedly called Byers and Hailey “aggressive,” and “facilitate[d] stereotypes about African American women as being confrontational simply for doing their job,” according to the lawsuit, which alleges racial discrimination.
On March 3, 2023, they were both fired and given no reason for the termination, according to court documents.
Their lawsuit, which names Donda Academy, West and directors of the school, seeks “general damages not limited to emotional distress” but doesn’t specify a dollar amount.
A spokesperson for West didn’t immediately return a request for comment Thursday. The school says on its website it has less than 12 students in every class and offers education from Pre-K to 12th grade.
The number of pupils it teachers and other information on staffing were not immediately available.
News
The exact amount of time the ball was in play during added time has been calculated and England fans are furious
The exact amount of time the ball was in play during added time has been calculated and England fans are furious England fell to an agonising defeat…
Gary Lineker summed up what England fans were thinking with seven-word comment on Euro 2024 final
Gary Lineker summed up what England fans were thinking with seven-word comment on Euro 2024 final Lineker gave his verdict on another devastating night for England. Gary…
England fans name ‘future captain’ after spotting what one player did at full-time after Spain defeat
England fans name ‘future captain’ after spotting what one player did at full-time after Spain defeat England fans spotted one particular moment on a devastating night in…
Two England players told to ‘do a Ben White’ after receiving low number of minutes at Euro 2024
Two England players told to ‘do a Ben White’ after receiving low number of minutes at Euro 2024 Some fans wanted the two players to play more…
Phil Foden’s stats from England defeat to Spain genuinely look like a typo
Phil Foden’s stats from England defeat to Spain genuinely look like a typo Foden had a poor Euro 2024 for England, but was it all his fault?…
England’s early seven-man shortlist to replace Gareth Southgate has emerged ahead of talks over his future
England’s early seven-man shortlist to replace Gareth Southgate has emerged ahead of talks over his future A group of ‘possible candidates’ are being considered by the FA,…
End of content
No more pages to load