Working a faculty isn’t any stroll within the park — a lesson Kanye West is studying the onerous method.
Former Donda Academy academics Cecilia Hailey and her daughter, Chekarey Byers, are suing West (now often known as Ye) and his Simi Valley personal faculty for wrongful termination, discrimination and illegal withholding of wages, amongst different allegations, in accordance with a grievance filed in Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom on Wednesday (April 5).
In accordance with a press launch put out by the plaintiffs’ regulation agency, West Coast Employment Attorneys, the Christian faculty allegedly “violated schooling, well being and security codes, terminated educators based mostly on race and retaliation, and failed to completely pay academics.” Donda Academy administrators Brianne Campbell, Allison Tidwell and Chris Julian are additionally named as defendants.
The grievance, obtained by Billboard and filed by attorneys Ronald L. Zambrano and Melineh Jingozian, claims the pre-Okay by way of Twelfth-grade faculty boasted various uncommon guidelines and restrictions, allegedly demanded by West. They embody not permitting widespread objects similar to crossword puzzles, coloring sheets, consuming utensils, colourful clothes, dinnerware, jewellery, chairs and Nike or Adidas branded clothes. College students have been additionally allegedly not allowed on the second flooring of the varsity as a result of West was “reportedly afraid of stairs” and likewise not allowed exterior, as a substitute pressured to spend their lunch/recess time indoors.
The grievance additional alleges that the one meal accessible to college students was sushi and that they weren’t allowed to carry meals from house. Byers and Hailey moreover accuse the varsity of turning a blind eye to “extreme bullying,” together with bodily violence.
Within the grievance, Hailey and Byers are recognized as the one feminine African-American academics on the faculty — one thing they are saying led to stereotyping and coded language from Donda Academy directors. “I’m simply uninterested in the rhetoric being that Black ladies who’re competent are seen as aggressive,” Hailey stated in an announcement.
The grievance goes on to state that when Hailey expressed curiosity in reaching out to West, she was informed to not. Each academics additionally declare that their paychecks have been “premature or inaccurate,” with some by no means arriving and others reportedly quick by as much as $2,700.
“No motion was taken to treatment plaintiffs’ complaints relating to sanitation, well being, security or schooling customary pursuant to native and state regulation, which plaintiffs made all through everything of their employment,” the grievance reads. Hailey and Byers have been finally terminated from the varsity in March, allegedly with out clarification.
Hailey and Byers are asking for damages together with unpaid wages, lack of earnings, deferred compensation and different employment advantages; normal damages, together with for “emotional misery”; different particular damages, together with “affordable medical bills”; punitive damages; prejudgment curiosity on misplaced wages and advantages; and prices of bringing the go well with.
“We’re standing up as a result of it’s the best factor to do,” Hailey continued in her assertion. “This isn’t about making an attempt to defame a star. That is about the best factor to do for these youngsters.”
“Whereas his imaginative and prescient for the varsity sounds nice on paper, it’s simply pure chaos and mutiny,” Byers added.
Representatives for West and Donda Academy didn’t instantly reply to Billboard‘s requests for remark.
Donda Academy — named after West’s late mom, Donda West — was based final yr. In October, there have been experiences of the varsity shutting down, however it’s now accepting purposes for the 2023-24 faculty yr.
