December 6, 2023
The artist formerly known as Kanye West wants the teachers’ claims to be thrown out by the court
Earlier this year, in April, two former teachers employed at Ye’s Donda Academy filed a lawsuit alleging that the school had labor violations and restrictive and unusual school rules for teachers and students. They were also the only Black teachers at the school. According to Radar Online, the artist formerly known as Kanye West has requested that the lawsuit against the school be thrown out.
The music producer also claimed that he was not involved in the day-to-day activities of the educational institution, which is alleged to have been rife with issues since its opening.
In the motion, Ye stated that the women, third-grade teacher Cecilia Hailey and fifth-grade teacher Chekarey Byers, who are mother and daughter, were not employed by him but by Donda Academy.
“Hailey and Byers also make clear that they were employed by Donda Academy, not Ye,” according to the recently filed document.
“The truth is, while Donda Academy was in operation as a school, Ye had nothing to do with Donda’s policies, practices, operations, and procedures relating to the payment of employee wages upon termination of employment or the content or timing of employee wage statements. Plaintiffs know that.”
Hailey and Byers worked at Donda Academy from January to March. They were allegedly let go without being given a reason on March 3. The two believe they were fired in retaliation for complaining about the conditions to the school’s administration.
The mother and daughter also allege in the lawsuit that the students were only allowed to eat sushi and that teachers and students were not allowed to wear jewelry.
The recent motion stated, “Hailey and Byers will point to their allegations regarding Ye’s control over the lunches served at Donda Academy or school uniforms, for example. But all of those allegations say nothing about Ye’s involvement in any Labor Code violation relating to Hailey’s and Byers’ wage statements or post-termination wages.”
The controversial entertainer wants the teachers’ claims to be dismissed and for them not to be allowed to amend their lawsuit.
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