Simultaneously with the turbulence Kanye West has experienced over the last half-year, his school Donda Academy has seen its own challenges.
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Most recently, the pre-kindergarten through grade 12 institution was hit with a lawsuit on Thursday (April 6), according to TMZ. Filed by two anonymous Black women who used to teach at the school, the suit alleges late or inadequate payments, health and safety code violations, and much more. However, the most peculiar of the claims includes stories of students only being allowed to eat sushi served to them by the school.
The women state in the suit that the students enrolled were served sushi every day, for which Kanye would pay $10,000 a week. No other outside food or drink was permitted on the school’s campus in Simi Valley, California.
On top of this, other bewildering claims were made about West and how the school was run. The kids were not allowed to do crossword puzzles or coloring books, could not wear any jewelry, could not use kitchen utensils to eat, could not use chairs to sit, and could not attend class on the second floor because “Kanye is afraid of stairs.” Additionally, the kids could only wear black clothing, as brands like Nike and Adidas which West has had past feuds were not permitted.
As for the women filing the suit, they insisted that no curriculum or lesson plans were in place for teachers and that they were not given proper guidelines for how to discipline students, which led to bullying and fighting. Soon fired after being brought on earlier this year, the women assert that their termination was a result of “retaliation and racial discrimination.” When employed by Donda Academy, they said their paychecks would sometimes be nearly $3,000 short of their required payment.
It was not made clear in TMZ’s report how much the women are suing for, but this is not the first time Donda Academy has been under fire. After West’s antisemitic tirade in October 2022, the school temporarily closed and reopened, their basketball team full of high-level recruits was banned from tournaments, and reports came out about parents of students being pressured to sign NDAs.
Ultimately, it seems like Donda Academy, at the very least, contains a not-so-ideal environment for students and families. West and his school have yet to respond to the new lawsuit brought against them.
Photo by Rachpoot/Bauer-Griffin/GC Images
