Kanye West Settles Donda Academy Lawsuit Weeks Before Case Was Set to Go to Trial

Kanye West has settled a wrongful termination and unpaid wages lawsuit against his now-shuttered Donda Academy, just weeks before the case brought forth by several former teachers was set to go to trial.

According to Los Angeles Superior Court documents obtained by PEOPLE, the rapper, listed as defendant Donda Academy, Incorporated, et al., agreed to a conditional settlement with plaintiff Cecilia Hailey, et al.

West, 47, must complete his end of the settlement within 45 days. The plaintiffs will then request a dismissal of the case to the LA Superior Court.

Attorneys for the rapper did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.

The lawsuit was filed in April 2023 by Cecilia Hailey and her daughter Chekarey Byers, who were both fired as teachers at the private school West named after his late mother Donda. Timanii Meeks, a third Donda Academy teacher, joined the case on June 1, 2023 after Hailey and Byers’ initial filing, per Rolling Stone.

The mother and daughter filed a lawsuit against West, claiming that Donda Academy — which lacked proper accreditation, per Rolling Stone — violated several Department of Education requirements. When they brought up their concerns, they were terminated in March 2023.

There was allegedly a “lack of safety,” there were no school nurses or janitors on the campus, and the school wasn’t following proper “nutritional guidelines” for meals, according to a complaint obtained by PEOPLE. (West allegedly spent $10,000 on sushi every week and had it served as the students’ lunch).

“As an educator with over twenty-five years of experience and having served as the dean of two colleges, Hailey detected multiple health and safety violations, as well as unlawful educational practices at Donda Academy,” the lawsuit alleged.

“In an effort to bring attention to the unlawful and unsafe practices, Hailey complained to the director/principal of Donda Academy, Moira Love on at least three separate occasions.”

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Hailey and Byers also claimed that they were discriminated against as the only Black staff members and “illegally had wages withheld or were repeatedly improperly paid.”

The lawsuit alleges there were “strict rules and requirements that the school had no choice but to adhere to,” such as banning the students from wearing any color but black head-to-toe and not allowing students to use utensils — and being forced to eat lunch on the floor.

Additionally, there were no classes on the second floor because West was reportedly afraid of stairs. He also “reportedly did not allow chairs, so children had to sit on foam cushions or stand, and teachers had to stand or use a stool,” according to the lawsuit.

Hailey and Byers sought over $1 million in damages for lost wages and emotional distress, per ABC 7 News.

West announced his plan to open Donda Academy, located in Simi Valley, Calif., in October 2021.

A now-defunct website for the school claimed it offered “a world-class education that includes a rigorous core curriculum, and an emphasis on sustainability, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving.” Graduates of Donda Academy would be the “next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators,” the website previously said.

According to the California Department of Education, Donda Academy closed in June 2024.

Source people.com