Kanye West (who’s now formerly known as Ye) has engaged in a number of different business ventures outside of music over the years. While some have proven to be lucrative for the media and fashion mogul, others have earned him backlash. Among the latter is West’s Donda Academy, a private school he opened in California in 2022. The unaccredited institution drew the ire of many upon its opening and eventually became subject to various lawsuits. Now, an ex-employee has also taken legal action against the rapper over the school, and the suit makes a number of claims, including the accusation that West wanted a jail of sorts at the school.
What Does The Latest Suit Regarding Donda Academy Entail?
Trevor Phillips, who reportedly worked for both the Yeezy brand and Donda Academy, filed the lawsuit this week. After having worked with the former entity, Phillips apparently believed that he had a prime opportunity to expand his professional horizons once the school opened. Us Weekly obtained court documents, in which his legal team conveyed that their client viewed Ye as “the American Dream” in some respects. With that, “Phillips passionately dove into his work.” However, during his nine-month stint at the school, the man allegedly endured a hostile work environment, where the “Jesus Walks” rapper would spread “dangerous rhetoric.”
In the suit, it’s also claimed that Kanye West conveyed to students that he “wanted them to shave their heads and that he intended to put a jail at the school — and that they could be locked in cages.” Per the documents, employees ultimately diverted the students’ attention and removed them from the room. It’s worth noting that the four kids Ye shares with Kim Kardashian, whom he’s settled his divorce from, did not attend the institution.
According to Trevor Phillips and his team, the entertainer also told kids of his desire to only date white women. Additionally, the plaintiff also alleged that Black employees were treated poorly compared to their white peers. One portion of the suit reads as follows:
It was immediately apparent to him, and others, that Kanye treated the Black staff considerably worse than white employees. Even when class was in session, Kanye would scream and berate Black employees, while never even as much raising his tone at the white staff. Often, Kanye targeted Phillips — a Black man — not just with this disparate and harassing behavior, but complete and utter disdain.
Other claims include Ye’s reported tendency to share “discriminatory conspiracy of Jews” and an instance in which he reportedly went on about Adolf Hitler’s merits. Purported temper tantrums on the artist’s part are also mentioned in the suit. On the whole, Trevor Phillips is looking for $35,000 in damages for discrimination based on race, a hostile workplace, whistleblower retaliation (as he refers to it) and more.
What Other Claims Have Been Leveled Against Donda Academy In Court?
In April 2023, two former employees of Donda filed a suit against Kanye West and the school, dropping a plethora of accusations. Not only did they allege that $10K was spent on sushi per week, but they also alleged that forks, chairs and second floors were banned. The filing also made note of an alleged all-black dress code and a lack of lesson plans and disciplinary regulations. Another suit was filed in July of that same year, and it claimed that the building was missing windows and that exposed wires led to a fire on the grounds.
The current operating status of the school is unclear. Kanye West reportedly shut the school down in August 2023, with the aim to rebrand it. (That’s also when Trevor Phillips reportedly worked his last day.) All of that arrived months after West came under fire for sharing anti-Semitic comments that got him dropped by Adidas, CAA and more brands. The star addressed his losses, saying that he’d been “beat to a pulp.” At present, he’s also facing a copyright case involving Ozzy Osbourne for reportedly sampling his music without permission. As of right now, neither Ye nor his legal team have issued a statement on this latest legal matter involving Donda Academy.
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