Donda Academy Faces Lawsuit and Scrutiny From Former Teachers

Three former teachers at the Donda Academy are filing a lawsuit against the school, claiming poor treatment, conditions and bullying from the higher ups. Original plaintiffs Cecilia Hailey and her daughter Chekarey Byers were joined by a third, Timanii Meeks, as they pursue a case against musician and fashion designer Kanye West’s school. 

All three teachers allege that they experienced racism, bullying and retaliation when they brought up conditions occurring in the building that were less than safe for adults and kids alike. They even alleged that there were checks where the pay was lower than usual, sometimes by the thousands. 

In the new complaint amended on June 1, Meeks stated that she believed that “building was not safe for occupants, let alone children.” This wouldn’t be the first time the public has been exposed to alleged poor conditions and lack of support at the Donda Academy. Early this year, it was alleged that the school lunch had been limited to Sushi for an extended period of time, amongst other disturbing alleged issues and concerns. 

Hailey also raised the concern in their complaint that they’d gone to the principal, Moira Love, on three occasions. However, when the concerns were raised to Love, instead of taking action, she called Byers and Hailey “aggressive” in front of people. Byers and Hailey both felt a racial bias in Love’s response, saying it “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.” Hailey even noted that she had tried to reach out to Mr. West himself, to no avail after she was allegedly “threatened not to reach out to him.”

While Meeks was fired months before Byers and Hailey from the school, she and the two other plaintiffs have similar termination stories that can support their suit against the school. The suit is currently in progress.