Kanye West and his Donda Academy are in hot water after former employees sounded the alarm about unsafe conditions at the school.
Mother and daughter Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers are suing the school, claiming they were fired after reporting several violations to authorities. Hailey began working as a substitute at the school in November 2022 before being hired as a full-time third-grade teacher. Byers came on board as a fifth-grade teacher around January of this year. Both women reported the only lunch option available to students was sushi once a day. The children were not allowed to eat anything else, including packed lunches from home. Water was permitted, but no other drink options were available.
The women also allege that school doors were locked from the outside. This is especially dangerous because there would be no way for staff members and students to escape in an emergency. In their lawsuit, Hailey and Byers say the kids were forced to remain indoors for the entire day. Another potentially life-threatening claim is that teachers were unaware of students’ medical conditions. Medications were kept in odd places, such as janitor closets, and there were no school nurses on site.
“Kanye needs to realize his genius is in creating music, not in school administration,” the lawsuit doc read.
In addition to poor school conditions, Hailey and Byers claim they were not properly compensated on multiple occasions. Both women say they were shorted up to $2,700 per pay period. After complaining to the principal about the various safety hazards and pay issues, the women were fired on March 3rd without reason.
They are now seeking “general damages” for their experiences.
