Two former Donda Academy employees are suing Kanye West, his school, and his administrators for racial discrimination and unfair dismissal.
Teachers Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers allege in legal documents obtained by Page Six that they were discriminated against based on their race, that their salaries were held illegally and that they were fired in March 2023 in retaliation for reporting code violations.
Hailey and Byers say they are the only black female teachers employed by Donda Academy.
Also involved in the lawsuit are principals Brianne Campbell, Allison Tidwell and Chris Julian.
Hailey claims she began noticing illegal education practices, as well as numerous health and safety violations, but nothing was done when she raised her concerns to the school principal, Moira Love.
The documents also claim that students are fed only one meal of sushi a day, and that they are prohibited from bringing anything other than food or water for drinks.
West, 45, allegedly spends $10,000 a week on sushi.
Teachers also claim that Yeezy fashion designer forbids “crossword puzzles” and “coloring papers” and doesn’t allow kids to go out during the day, even for lunch or recess.
Additionally, it was alleged that the doors of the Simi Valley school in California were locked from the outside, posing a fire hazard.
The Donda Academy, which temporarily closed in the fall amid West’s anti-Semitic rants, also lacked appropriate medical staff and the children’s medication would be “stashed in the cleaning locker,” according to the lawsuit.
The documents allege that, in response to Byers and Hailey’s complaints, Love described them as “aggressive in front of others”.
Plaintiffs believe that such comments facilitate stereotypes about African-American women being confrontational because they simply do their job and raise legitimate concerns to provide a safe environment and appropriate education for their students.
“No action has been taken to resolve plaintiffs’ complaints regarding sanitation, health, safety, or standard of education, in accordance with local and state laws, which they did during their employment.”
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Byers and Hailey say they were both fired on March 3, 2023, in the school’s parking lot, with “no reason” to be fired.
Both sue to recover unpaid wages, lost earnings, and other employment benefits. They also hope to receive compensation for emotional distress and medical costs.
“I am extremely sorry for all this. It has been a tremendous honor and privilege for Kanye West to work at Donda Academy. I’m a huge Kanye fan. It was the first album I ever bought, Byers said.
“I still love his music and I will never deny his talent, but while his vision of the school looks great on paper, it’s just pure chaos and rebellion. It’s like a mental hospital run by patients.”
Page Six has been unable to reach out to Ye for a response, as the rapper’s managers and agencies left Ye for anti-Semitic comments last year.