Kanye West Fighting Ex-Donda Academy Teachers' Lawsuit Accusing His School of Only Feeding Students Sushi, Having No Janitor
West is demanding to be let out of the court battle.
Dec. 5 2023, Published 10:51 a.m. ET
Kanye West demanded the racial discrimination lawsuit filed by two teachers from his private school be dismissed – and argued he had no role in the day-to-day operations.
According to court documents obtained by RadarOnline.com, West asked the court to dismiss the two claims filed against him.
The teachers filed the bombshell lawsuit earlier this year.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, earlier this year, West and his Donda Academy were sued by 2 former teachers, Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers, for alleged racial discrimination.
The lawsuit added several school directors as defendants.
West denied all allegations of wrongdoing.
Hailey and Byers claimed they were retaliated against after raising concerns about the school. The plaintiffs said they were the only black teachers at the school.
In the suit, Hailey said after she started her job, she immediately noticed alleged health and safety violations — as well as unlawful educational practices.
A look at Donda Academy.
Hailey claimed the school did not train teachers on Basic Life Support training, did not have a proper disciplinary system “as students were being subject to severe bullying,” and did not have janitorial services or a school nurse.
The suit claimed, “Specifically, they complained that DONDA ACADEMY does not have a proper disciplinary system, as students were being subject to severe bullying. In one incident, a student assaulted an eighth-grade student by slapping her, then attempted to assault another teacher. The student had multiple accounts of bullying, both physically and verbally, that had gone without discipline. However, there are several students with bullying issues that remain unaddressed. Plaintiff BYERS complained that the student who became violent should be expelled from DONDA ACADEMY.”
West is still fighting another lawsuit brought by The Gap.
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Hailey and Byers claimed West did not believe in cleaning products containing chemicals, “so teachers were only allowed to clean with acid water and microfiber cloths. There were no trash cans outside of the classrooms or the kitchen.”
The teachers claimed, “the only lunch available for students was sushi, every single day. Students were not allowed to bring any outside food or anything other than water. It was widely known that Defendant WEST spends $10,000.00 a week on sushi.”
Further, the teachers claimed “students were allowed to be picked up from the school campus by strangers, as there were no policies in place otherwise. Parents, children from other schools, and even random strangers could come and go at will without ever having to sign-in or sign-out or notify anyone.”
Hailey and Byers said they brought up their concerns to the school directors but were labeled “aggressive.”
West recently settled another lawsuit filed by a Sunday Service performer.
The lawsuit said the teachers, “believe this type of comment facilitates stereotypes about African-American women as being confrontational simply for doing their job and voicing their legitimate concerns in order to provide a safe environment and proper education for their students.”
Hailey and Byers were terminated in March 2023 without any justification being provided, according to the lawsuit. They sued seeking unspecified damages for the alleged racial discrimination and wages withheld.
In his newly filed motion, West argued the teachers were employed by Donda NOT him. He said the claims filed against him related to wages — which he had no role in.
“Hailey and Byers also make clear that they were employed by Donda Academy, not Ye,” his motion read.
“The truth is, while Donda Academy was in operation as a school, Ye had nothing to do with Donda’s policies, practices, operations, and procedures relating to the payment of employee wages upon termination of employment or the content or timing of employee wage statements. Plaintiffs know that,” his lawyer wrote.
His lawyer added, “Hailey and Byers will point to their allegations regarding Ye’s control over the lunches served at Donda Academy or school uniforms for example. But all of those allegations say nothing about Ye’s involvement in any Labor Code violation relating to Hailey’s and Byers’ wage statements or post-termination wages.”
West demanded the claims be dismissed and the ex-teachers not be allowed to amend their lawsuit.
As RadarOnline.com first reported, West recently settled a separate lawsuit brought by a Sunday Service performer but is still facing several other legal issues.