Kanye’s Schools Lacked Windows Because He Didn’t Like Glass
Kanye’s Schools Lacked Windows Because He Didn’t Like Glass.
A former official and teacher who worked at two schools founded by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is suing the artist and his Christian academies, alleging in a lawsuit filed Thursday that they had dismal sanitation, electrical problems and windows and a skylight that were left empty because Ye allegedly didn’t like glass.
Isaiah Meadows, a former assistant principal at Yeezy Christian Academy, the predecessor to Donda Academy, said he was suspended and later fired after he complained about conditions at the Southern California schools.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, adds to a chorus of allegations against Ye and his pursuit of what the Donda Academy website describes as a “mission to provide the youth with the passion, purpose and spiritual foundations they need to thrive in tomorrow’s world.”
In a separate suit filed this year by the law firm that lodged Thursday’s complaint, two former teachers accused Ye and Donda Academy of wrongful termination, painting a troubling portrait of a school they say has no janitorial or medical staffs, rampant bullying and rules that appeared to ban the use of forks and clothes that weren't black or designed by Ye.
A third plaintiff was added to the suit last month.
“It is just absolutely egregious what is going on at this school,” Ron Zambrano, the lawyer representing plaintiffs in both lawsuits, said in a statement.
“The unlawful and retaliatory behavior by Mr. West and the school directors have now been documented multiple times by other former employees who never even worked together but all experienced the same horrendous treatment and witnessed the same serious health, safety and education code violations, while all were subjected to the same fate — wrongful termination — and we plan to hold them accountable," Zambrano said.
Thursday’s suit, which Zambrano's firm provided to NBC News, claims breach of contract, alleging that after Meadows raised concerns about health, safety and other issues at the schools, he was suspended, his pay was docked and he was eventually fired.
Ye also failed to follow through on a promise that Yeezy Christian Academy officials would pay Meadows’ rent, the suit alleges, leaving him to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the home he had rented in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The suit names as defendants Ye, Donda Academy and Yeezy Christian Academy, where Meadows said he began working as a full-time employee in late 2020, as well as officials of both schools.
The Yeezy Christian Academy campus had no hot water and a skylight without glass, a septic tank that repeatedly overflowed and such poorly done wiring that an electrical fire started near the student eating area, the suit alleges.
When the school became Donda Academy and moved to another location in Simi Valley in August 2021, Meadows worked as a teache
A former official and teacher who worked at two schools founded by Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, is suing the artist and his Christian academies, alleging in a lawsuit filed Thursday that they had dismal sanitation, electrical problems and windows and a skylight that were left empty because Ye allegedly didn’t like glass.
Isaiah Meadows, a former assistant principal at Yeezy Christian Academy, the predecessor to Donda Academy, said he was suspended and later fired after he complained about conditions at the Southern California schools.
The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court, adds to a chorus of allegations against Ye and his pursuit of what the Donda Academy website describes as a “mission to provide the youth with the passion, purpose and spiritual foundations they need to thrive in tomorrow’s world.”
In a separate suit filed this year by the law firm that lodged Thursday’s complaint, two former teachers accused Ye and Donda Academy of wrongful termination, painting a troubling portrait of a school they say has no janitorial or medical staffs, rampant bullying and rules that appeared to ban the use of forks and clothes that weren't black or designed by Ye.
A third plaintiff was added to the suit last month.
“It is just absolutely egregious what is going on at this school,” Ron Zambrano, the lawyer representing plaintiffs in both lawsuits, said in a statement.
“The unlawful and retaliatory behavior by Mr. West and the school directors have now been documented multiple times by other former employees who never even worked together but all experienced the same horrendous treatment and witnessed the same serious health, safety and education code violations, while all were subjected to the same fate — wrongful termination — and we plan to hold them accountable," Zambrano said.
Thursday’s suit, which Zambrano's firm provided to NBC News, claims breach of contract, alleging that after Meadows raised concerns about health, safety and other issues at the schools, he was suspended, his pay was docked and he was eventually fired.
Ye also failed to follow through on a promise that Yeezy Christian Academy officials would pay Meadows’ rent, the suit alleges, leaving him to pay tens of thousands of dollars for the home he had rented in Calabasas, about 30 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
The suit names as defendants Ye, Donda Academy and Yeezy Christian Academy, where Meadows said he began working as a full-time employee in late 2020, as well as officials of both schools.
The Yeezy Christian Academy campus had no hot water and a skylight without glass, a septic tank that repeatedly overflowed and such poorly done wiring that an electrical fire started near the student eating area, the suit alleges.
When the school became Donda Academy and moved to another location in Simi Valley in August 2021, Meadows worked as a teache
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NewsTranscript
00:00 Kanye's schools lacked windows because he didn't like glass.
00:03 A former assistant principal at Kanye West's private school filed a lawsuit on Thursday
00:08 alleging windows were left uninstalled because the rapper, who has legally changed his name
00:13 to Ye, didn't like glass.
00:16 Isaiah Meadows claims Yeezy Christian Academy's campus had a skylight without glass.
00:22 And even the newer Donda Academy only had mesh curtains.
00:25 Still, no glass added to its windows, eventually.
00:30 Yeezy's strange dislike for glass windows allegedly came with a slew of other problems
00:34 with the schools, including a lack of hot water and electricity, an overflowing septic
00:39 tank, and bad electrical wiring that caused a fire near the student eating area, according
00:45 to the lawsuit.
00:46 Meadows says he complained about the issues only to get suspended and later fired without
00:51 explanation.
00:53 He is seeking damages but did not specify an amount in the complaint.
00:57 Three ex-teachers are already suing Yee for a series of allegations about the schools,
01:03 including that the rapper forced students to eat sushi for lunch.
01:07 Yee's reps and lawyers did not respond to NBC News' request for comment.