Analyzing Allegations Against Kanye West's Donda Academy

Every Accusation Made Against Kanye West’s Donda

Kanye West. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images For Roc Nation

Kanye West's school, Donda Academy, has been hit with several lawsuits.

In April 2023, Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers filed a lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court. According to legal documents obtained by We, the two plaintiffs claimed that the school did not address their concerns regarding "multiple health and safety violations, as well as unlawful educational practices."

Principal Moira Love was accused in court documents of labeling the teachers as "aggressive" when they raised their concerns. Hailey mentioned that she had planned to discuss her issues with West directly but was warned not to contact him. Both teachers were dismissed in March 2023, which they believed was in response to their complaints about the school's unlawful and unsafe practices.

A third former teacher, Timanii Meeks, joined the legal action against Donda Academy in June 2023, as reported by NBC News. Meeks claimed that she had informed the school administrators about safety issues such as exposed electrical wiring and loose baseboards, and was assured that the school was addressing the problems. The trial is scheduled to commence in April 2025.

West's attorney refuted the accusations and requested the lawsuit to be dismissed. Attorney Gregory Suhr stated in court documents obtained by NBC News that the claims are false and are unfair to the current staff, students, and parents of Donda Academy who have had positive experiences.

Shortly after, Isaiah Meadows filed a lawsuit against Donda Academy, alleging that he was terminated as a form of retaliation for raising safety concerns.

Former Yeezy and Donda Academy employee Trevor Phillips filed a lawsuit against West the following year, claiming a hostile workplace and intentional infliction of emotional distress. According to court documents obtained by Us, Phillips sought $35,000 for alleged whistleblower retaliation, race-based discrimination, a hostile work environment, and other legal claims.

In 2022, the rapper launched Donda Academy. However, West and his ex-wife Kim Kardashian's four children - North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm - did not attend the school. Us has reached out to West's representative for comments on the lawsuits.

Scroll down for all of the accusations made against West’s Donda Academy:

Nutrition Guidelines

Hailey and Byers claimed in their lawsuit filed in April 2023 that the school did not adhere to proper nutrition standards.

According to the lawsuit, during the entire time Hailey and Byers worked there, the only lunch option provided for students was sushi, every day. Students were prohibited from bringing their own food and were only allowed to have water. It was a common belief that Defendant West spent $10,000 weekly on sushi.

Multiple Health Violations

In the April 2023 lawsuit, the plaintiffs cited multiple health violations, claiming that Donda Academy didn’t have proper janitorial or cleaning staff.

The documents mention that West did not believe in using cleaning products with chemicals. Instead, teachers were only allowed to clean with acid water and microfiber cloths. Additionally, there were no trash cans outside of the classrooms or the kitchen.

Hailey and Byers also claimed that there were no school nurses available. Student medications were unsupervised and stored in a janitorial closet. Byers' student's EpiPen, for example, was found on top of the microwave. There was no communication with Byers about the student's allergy or medication needs, and no medical documentation was provided.

Allegations of Bullying

According to Hailey and Byers in the April 2023 lawsuit, there were multiple instances of alleged bullying. One incident involved a student slapping an eighth grade student and attempting to assault a teacher. The student had a history of both physical and verbal bullying that went unpunished. Byers also raised concerns that the violent student should be expelled from Donda Academy, as there were other students with bullying issues that were not being addressed.

Every Accusation Made Against Kanye West’s Donda

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Absence of Safety Measures

The lawsuit filed in April 2023 alleged that Donda Academy lacked any security precautions. This resulted in students being vulnerable to being picked up by strangers from the school campus, as there were no specific policies in place to prevent this.

The documents stated that anyone could enter and leave the school without signing in or notifying anyone, including parents, children from other schools, and strangers.

Furthermore, parents would bring their newborns to school, breastfeed them, and pass them around to others during school hours without considering student rights or safety, as mentioned in the lawsuit.

Educational Guidelines Not Being Followed

According to Hailey and Byers, Donda Academy was accused in a lawsuit filed in April 2023 of not adhering to state regulations regarding students who require educational services, additional testing, or personalized learning plans.

Unusual Requests at Donda Academy

In the April 2023 lawsuit, it was reported that Kanye West had some unique guidelines for Donda Academy. These included rules such as prohibiting crossword puzzles and coloring sheets. Additionally, students were said to be forbidden from using forks or utensils, only gray dishware was permitted, classrooms had to be devoid of colors or artwork, and the building was locked from the outside throughout the school day.

Hailey and Byers said that classes couldn't happen on the second floor because West was supposedly scared of stairs. He also wanted everyone to wear all-black clothes that he either gave out or designed, and he didn't allow any jewelry. Instead of regular chairs, foam cushions and stools were used in the classrooms, forcing teachers and students to stand.

According to Meeks, some parents were unhappy because there were no books, textbooks, or other educational materials in the classrooms as expected.

Payment Issues

Hailey and Byers claimed in the April 2023 lawsuit that “throughout the entirety of their employment,” their paychecks were either “untimely or inaccurate.”

According to the lawsuit, Byers did not receive her first paycheck. Additionally, the paychecks of the plaintiffs would frequently be missing around $1,800.00 to $2,700.00 per pay period. The plaintiffs raised concerns to Donda Academy about not receiving all of their wages during the specified pay periods.

Every Accusation Made Against Kanye West’s Donda

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Racial Discrimination

In the April 2023 lawsuit, Hailey and Byers claimed they were called “aggressive” after sharing their concerns with Love. According to legal documents, the plaintiffs believed that such a remark perpetuates stereotypes about African-American women being seen as confrontational when simply doing their job and speaking up for the safety and education of their students.

In the 2024 lawsuit, Phillips’ lawyers made similar allegations, stating that it was clear to him and others that Kanye treated Black staff much worse than white employees. They mentioned how Kanye would yell and criticize Black employees, while never doing the same to white staff, even during class. Phillips, a Black man, was often the target of this unfair treatment and disrespect.

The court docs also alleged that West discussed in front of two children how he only likes to date white women.

Exposed Electrical Wiring

Lack of Electricity

In Meeks’ lawsuit filed in June 2023, she mentioned that she had informed school administrators about exposed electrical wiring and loose baseboards. However, she was only told that they were addressing the issues and that the school was still a "work in progress," as reported by NBC News.

School Conditions

Meadows claimed in a lawsuit filed in July 2023 that the school lacked electricity, forcing teachers to use commercial flood lamps for classroom lessons. According to NBC News, there were no glass windows initially, but mesh curtains were later installed. Additionally, the school's septic tank frequently overflowed, as stated in the lawsuit.

Alleged Antisemitic Comments

According to documents from 2024, it was reported that West allegedly told students to shave their heads and mentioned plans to build a jail at the school where students could be locked in cages. Following this comment, Phillips stated that the staff quickly intervened, distracting the students and escorting them out of the room.

West’s Outbursts

In the 2024 lawsuit, Phillips said that he saw West talk about a "discriminatory conspiracy of Jews" at meetings in Donda Academy. He also mentioned feeling uneasy during a meeting in December 2022 outside of school, where West praised Hitler.

During the 2024 lawsuit, Phillips accused West of throwing a "temper tantrum" and making threats to punch him. Phillips said that West got upset about the garden he was taking care of, and started yelling in front of his staff to leave and that he was fired.

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