Two former teachers, Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers, at Kanye West’s Christian prep school, Donda Academy, have filed a lawsuit accusing the school of “multiple health and safety violations, as well as unlawful educational practices,” describing a disorganized, chaotic, and potentially harmful environment.
Both teachers allege that they were fired earlier this year for attempting to address their concerns for students’ well-being. Among their complaints are claims that teachers are underpaid, that the school has no “proper disciplinary system” or janitorial services, that medical access is subpar, and that West forbade all food or drink except for sushi and water, which West supposedly pays “$10,000 a week” of his personal money on.
Beyond the required diet, West also “did not allow color in the classrooms or artwork hung on the walls” and ensured that all uniforms were all-black, and all cups and bowls were gray. West also allegedly forbade any cleaning product “containing chemicals,” which presumably worsened the sanitation issues caused by the non-existent janitorial department. He even allegedly disallowed chairs, meaning “children had to sit on foam cushion or stand, and teachers had to stand or use a stool.”
“I’m extremely sad about all of this,” Byers shared in a statement. “It was such a huge honor and privilege to work at Donda Academy for Kanye West… I still enjoy his music, and I’ll never deny his talent, but while his vision for the school sounds great on paper, it’s just pure chaos and mutiny. It’s like a mental hospital being run by the patients.”
Donda Academy was announced just last year sells itself as an innovative approach to education in a “post-iPhone” world, focusing on spirituality and creativity, while lacking accreditation, and having a steep tuition cost. There are even reports that parents have to sign non-disclosure agreements, though Keyshia Cole, singer who briefly sent her son to the school, claims that no such agreement was ever presented to her. The outcome of this lawsuit is yet to be determined. (Consequence)
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