Kanye West Under Fire in New Donda Academy Lawsuit
A former Donda Academy employee has sued Kanye West, accusing the rapper and school founder of numerous shocking allegations.
On April 2, Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, was sued by a former teacher at Donda Academy, Ye’s private Christian school. NME reports Trevor Phillips has filed a lawsuit against Ye with allegations including verbal abuse, threatening physical violence, and comparing himself to Hitler.
Kanye West is being sued by a former Donda Academy employee claiming workplace abuse
— Kurrco (@Kurrco) April 2, 2024
The lawsuit, filed by Trevor Phillips, details a variety of situations involving Ye:
▫️ Ye allegedly wanted to introduce a jail at the school so kids could be locked in cages
▫️ Phillips says… pic.twitter.com/O47pGTfFQR
Accusations Against Ye, Kanye West
Other outlets, including Rolling Stone and NBC News, have reported that Phillips stated that Ye told students that he wanted to shave their heads and lock them in cages. In the 47-page suit filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court, Ye compared himself to Hitler “minus the gas chambers.”
Additional accusations include Ye simulating masturbation during a one-on-one meeting in a Southern California hotel room, the singling out of Black staff members, forcing employees to do renovations without permits, and body shaming. Also, the rapper reportedly failed to pay Donda Academy employees after Adidas cut ties with him after his antisemitic comments and his Yeezy bank accounts were frozen.
Former Employee Trevor Phillips’ Claims
Phillips was hired in November 2022 to work on a “vertically integrated crew” for Ye’s clothing brand but was later transferred to Donda and remained until its closing. He claims Ye continued to “double down” on making antisemitic claims and threatened to go after the LGBTQ+ community “next.” Phillips reported that the “Famous” rapper retaliated with “incessant harassment, humiliation, and attempts to both mentally control and destroy” him.
During a Sunday service at the school, Ye publicly fired and berated Phillips over a garden he tended to. According to the suit, Phillips pleaded with Ye to keep his job due to his medical condition and familial connection to Donda. The suit states, “Kanye raised his hand and pointed at Phillips’ neck condition and screamed: ‘F*** your neck!’ …Then pointing at the school, Kanye belched, ‘And f*** your daughter. I don’t give a f*** about none of that.”
Donda Academy’s Impending Legal Battles
The suit, filed by attorney Carney Shegerian, seeks over $35,000 in damages for claims of discrimination, retaliation, wrongful termination, and various other claims. Another lawsuit filed by two former Donda Academy teachers in 2023 will begin trial in April 2025. A lawyer for the rapper denied all claims about Donda in a 2023 filing: “None of it is true and the allegations do a disservice to the Donda Academy’s current staff and students and their parents who will attest to their positive experience.”
Representatives have yet to comment on Phillips’ allegations. You can find more details about this case below.
Isaiah is an entertainment writer for Glitter Magazine with a focus on music and film stories. He enjoys the aforementioned topics as well as performing, yoga, and fashion.