Former Teachers Allege Bizarre Rules at Kanye West's Donda Academy
Just how much are some parents willing to overlook for proximity to fame? Quite a lot, it turns out.
In a lawsuit filed earlier this month by two teachers who were recently terminated by Donda Academy, the (unaccredited) private, Christian school founded by the rapper Ye (formerly Kanye West), the list of the school’s idiosyncratic practices reads like a rollicking parody even by celebrity-world standards.
According to the complaint against West and Donda, which was filed by Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers, students at the K-12 school—which is named after West’s late mother, Dr. Donda West, and is located in Chatsworth, a suburb in the San Fernando Valley—were required to wear “head to toe black” every day and forbidden to wear Adidas or Nike brands. All cups and bowls in the school had to be the color gray, and children were not permitted to use forks or other utensils when they ate. As for what they ate, it was sushi “every single day,” according to the complaint. No outside food was permitted; only water was allowed to be brought to school. Crosswords and puzzle sheets were not permitted. And because, the complaint alleges, West is afraid of stairs, no classes were taught on the second floor. Chairs were also not allowed, so kids sat on foam cushions or stood during instruction and while having lunch.
More seriously, the plaintiffs allege that “severe bullying” went unchecked. When one student slapped an eighth-grader and attempted to assault a teacher, there was no disciplinary action. The former teachers further allege that Donda had no janitorial staff—West does “not believe in cleaning products,” so teachers had to clean their classrooms using acid water and microfiber cloths—nor a school nurse. Strangers were permitted to pick kids up at school. And Donda did not follow state regulations for testing, nor did it have individualized learning plans for students.
In interviews with the media, Hailey has said that African American history, Asian American history, as well as the Holocaust, were omitted from the school’s curriculum. “They definitely wanted to suppress a lot of information in reference to history,” she told the Los Angeles Times.
Hailey and Byers filed their suit—for wrongful termination and racial discrimination—in early April, a month after they were abruptly terminated by Donda. According to the complaint, they were not given reasons for their firing, but believe it was in retaliation for speaking up about the school’s safety, medical, health and academic shortcomings. When the women, who claim they were the only female, African American teachers at the school, complained to the school’s principal about issues at Donda, the principal allegedly called them “aggressive,” which they believe perpetuates stereotypes about African American women being considered confrontational for voicing their opinions. When Hailey reached out to West to discuss her concerns, the complaint says “she was threatened not to reach out to him.”
T&C contacted West's lawyer, Gregory K. Nelson, to ask about the complaint and he said, "No comment." Donda has not responded to an email sent this week asking for comment.
So what’s so alluring about Donda to parents, who are willing to fork over $15,000 a year (albeit a relative bargain for L.A. private schools) so their kids could attend? There’s the Christian element, for those looking for a place where their children can “be a reflection of God’s glory in the world,” as it states on Donda’s website. And then there’s the allure of West himself, however disgraced he may now be, and, to a greater extent, the world of music, fashion and celebrity that he represents. Donda students accompanied him to his controversial YZYSZN9 show at Paris Fashion week, and in 2022 he posted a TikTok video of the Donda gospel choir singing while he nods along in encouragement.
To parents the school is presumably a VIP ticket behind the velvet rope and entree to a typically impenetrable world—cult-like attributes be damned. Particularly to those interested in having their children follow an entertainment path, where there’s no clear educational journey as there are in careers like law and medicine, having a direct conduit to West and his network is a way to skip all those years of struggle and proving-yourself. And, after all, aren’t private schools so often about being in, and creating, the right “network,” anyway? In this way, Donda Academy and its selling point isn’t so different from schools that showcase their VIP board members and alumni, even if, in this case, the VIP in question is a highly controversial figure whose anti-Semitic remarks and behavior have led brands, his agency and media dignitaries like Anna Wintour to sever ties with him.
Ties with Donda families, meanwhile, live on, at least for now. The school continues to operate even in the shadow of its former employees’ lawsuit. And sushi is still being served.
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