Two former teachers at rapper Ye’s private Christian school in Simi Valley are suing the artist and the school after they were allegedly fired for reporting violations of education, health and safety codes. Macy Jenkins reports April 6, 2023.
Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, didn’t allow chairs, crossword puzzles or coloring sheets at his private Christian school in Simi Valley while kids were fed only sushi for lunch every day, according to a lawsuit filed by two former teachers.
The lawsuit paints a picture of a school – which serves students from kindergarten to 12th grade – run to conform to some particular quirks attributed to Ye. Students, for example, were not allowed to be taught upstairs, since Ye “was reportedly afraid of stairs.”
The plaintiffs, mother and daughter Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers, claim in their lawsuit that they repeatedly tried to “bring attention to the unlawful and unsafe practices” of Donda Academy before they were fired last month. Hailey and Byers – both Black women – also claim discrimination based on race, and say they were not paid their full wages.
NBC4 attempted to contact both Ye and Donda Academy, but they did not immediately return a request for comment.
Hailey joined the school in November of last year as a substitute but was made a full-time second and third grade teacher shortly thereafter, she said. Byers, meanwhile, was hired as a fifth grade teacher around Jan. 25 of this year, according to the suit. They claim they were the only Black women teachers at the school.
“I just need to preface that it’s not the children’s fault that things are not the way they should be. It’s the adults’ fault and administration’s fault that things are that way,” Hailey said in an interview with NBC4.
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Among the complaints is an allegation that Donda Academy did not have a protocol for students with medical needs and that their medicines were strewn about the school. Teachers didn’t know students had medical conditions, and medicine was found in places like the janitorial closet or on top of the microwave, Hailey said in an interview with NBC4.
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The plaintiffs also claim the school lacked safety procedures. Students, for example, were allowed to be picked up by strangers, and parents, kids from other schools and strangers “could come and go at will without ever having to sign-in or sign-out or notify anyone,” the lawsuit asserts.
The teachers said there was pervasive bullying at the academy – including hitting – which was exacerbated by a lack of disciplinary procedures.
“There was absolutely no rules or structure for discipline, so the kids could kind of do whatever they wanted and nothing was done about it, which is not effective because kids like order,” Hailey said.
The school failed to meet Department of Education requirements “for students in need of educational services, additional testing, or individualized learning plans,” according to the lawsuit. The school also had no cleaning staff, and teachers were only allowed to clean with acidic water and microfiber cloths, since Ye "did not believe" in cleaning products containing chemicals, the suit says.
Some of the problems, the lawsuit says, appeared to stem from Ye’s own preferences, including his alleged penchant for sushi.
Meals consisted of a light snack in the morning, sushi for lunch and another snack in the afternoon, Hailey said. “We started telling kids if they wanted to, they could bring their lunch to school. However, many did not. So, they would just go all day not eating because a lot of kids just don’t eat raw sushi,” she said.
The suit asserts that that kids were not allowed to use silverware and were forced to eat on the floor, since Donda Academy did not have tables.
According to the lawsuit, Ye also did not allow crossword puzzles, coloring sheets or artwork hung on walls. The school was locked from the outside during the day, and kids were forced to stay inside, including for lunch and recess, the suit states.
The suit also asserts that everyone was required to wear black from head to toe, and only Ye’s apparel was allowed to be worn, with the Nike and Adidas brands banned.
Meanwhile, Ye allegedly didn’t allow chairs, meaning students were forced to sit on foam cushions or stand, while teachers had to stand or sit on a stool.
Hailey and Byers claim they repeatedly brought up concerns to Donda Academy’s principal, but she allegedly called them “aggressive” in front of others.
“Plaintiffs 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,” the lawsuit states.
Last month, attorney Ron Zambrano said the two women were suddenly served termination letters in the school’s parking lot – with no explanation.
The plaintiffs are seeking damages including for unpaid wages and emotional distress. They are seeking a jury trial.
“I know it’s a private school and things at private schools are different than public, but believe it or not, private school can be a lot more stringent than public school,” Hailey said. “Otherwise, you have a hodgepodge and you just have a mess, which is what I feel we had here. We just had things out of order, totally out of order.”
