According to MyNewsLA, the Donda Academy lawsuit involving Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, and former security guard Benjamin Deshon Provo has reached a tentative settlement nearly three years after Provo claimed he was fired for refusing to cut his locs.
On Friday, November 6, Provo’s attorneys notified Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brock T. Hammond that the parties had reached a “conditional” resolution. A request to dismiss the case is expected by December 21, although the settlement terms have not been disclosed.
Provo filed his lawsuit in April 2024, accusing Ye and members of his management team of workplace discrimination, retaliation, and wrongful termination. He alleged that his employment ended in 2023 after he refused to shave his locs, which he maintained as part of his cultural identity and Muslim faith.
In the complaint, Provo claimed he was forced to choose between “critical aspects of his self-identity and financial stability.”
The Donda Academy lawsuit included allegations that Ye personally ordered Provo to change his hairstyle. According to court filings from Provo’s attorneys, the rapper noticed that the security guard had not shaved his head and instructed Donda Academy’s head of security, “The one with the dreads, tell him to shave his head.”
Provo’s legal team maintained that his refusal led to his termination. His complaint also alleged that Ye treated Black employees less favorably than white employees, including differences in pay and workplace treatment.
Ye’s attorneys strongly disputed Provo’s version of events and sought to have the lawsuit dismissed entirely or in part.
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“Without any foundation, plaintiff speculates that his separation and blocked return were attributable to a demand that he shave his dreadlocks,” Ye’s lawyers argued in court documents.
The defense maintained that Provo was employed by Best Way Protection, a separate security company that assigned him to work at Donda Academy. According to Ye’s attorneys, Best Way terminated Provo because he repeatedly left his assigned post, not because of his hairstyle. They also maintained that Ye had no involvement in the firing.
Court filings also addressed testimony from both men. Ye’s attorneys said Provo acknowledged during a deposition that he eventually shaved his locs in 2023 after having difficulty finding another job. He reportedly testified that he had not grown them back.
Meanwhile, Ye acknowledged having preferences about how employees presented themselves but testified that he would not fire someone simply for failing to meet those preferences, according to his attorneys.
The Donda Academy lawsuit was still being contested in October, when Ye’s legal team asked the court to dismiss the claims before trial. Provo’s attorneys maintained that evidence supported their allegations that the rapper’s instructions were connected to his termination.
