A former employee of the private school, Donda Academy, founded by Ye, has filed a lawsuit against the Grammy award-winning artist. The suit includes allegations of Ye spreading antisemitism and making comments to students about wanting to “shave their heads.”
Trevor Phillips has filed a lawsuit against Ye, his Yeezy fashion brand, and Donda Academy. The 42-page suit, obtained by USA TODAY, outlines the severe discrimination, harassment, and retaliation that Phillips claims to have experienced directly from Kanye West. The lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the Los Angeles County Superior Court.
In the lawsuit, it is stated that Phillips, who had been employed by Kanye West’s Yeezy fashion line and Donda Academy school for a duration of nine months, encountered difficulties with the mogul when he stood up against Kanye’s discriminatory behavior and refusal to comply with legal requirements.
In October 2022, Ye faced severe criticism nationwide when he took to Twitter, now referred to as X, and made a statement expressing hostility towards Jewish people, stating that he was going “death con 3” on them. The lawsuit claims that Phillips was subsequently hired to work for the Yeezy clothing line the following month.
According to the lawsuit, Phillips claimed that he had personally witnessed Kanye engaging in hateful speech, promoting antisemitic stereotypes, spreading falsehoods, making threats against the LGBTQ+ community, and even engaging in behavior that bordered on sexual stimulation.
Ye’s company, Yeezy Supply, was contacted by USA TODAY, but an immediate response was not received.
Ye treated black employees ‘considerably worse than white employees,’ Phillips says
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According to the lawsuit, Phillips is also alleging that Ye treated black staff “significantly worse” than white employees.
According to Phillips, Kanye would scream and berate black employees, even during class, without ever raising his tone with the white staff. Phillips, who is black himself, claims that Kanye specifically targeted him with not only this discriminatory and harassing behavior, but also a complete disregard and disrespect.
According to the lawsuit, when Phillips expressed his concerns about Ye’s behavior and mentioned that he already faced disadvantages due to his skin color, he became an even more prominent target.
Kanye West shows off his new titanium teeth, revealing that he did not have his real teeth removed during the experimental dentistry procedure.
According to the lawsuit, in addition to the allegations of retaliation, Ye reportedly made disturbing comments to the students. He allegedly expressed his desire for them to shave their heads and even mentioned his intention to establish a jail within the school premises, where students could potentially be locked in cages.
According to the former employee, Ye allegedly expressed admiration for Hitler in front of students, referring to his words as “dangerous rhetoric.”
Ye showed Donda Academy employees nude photos of sex partners, Phillips says
According to the lawsuit, the ex-employee claims that Phillips was fired and then rehired by Ye without any formal process. The incident in question occurred in May 2023, when Ye allegedly threatened to punch the employee in front of other staff and students. The reason for the altercation was that Ye was dissatisfied with the way the employee had been tending to the garden.
According to the lawsuit, Kanye angrily raised his hand and directed his attention towards Phillips’ neck condition, shouting, “Forget about your neck!” He then shifted his focus to the school and crudely exclaimed, “And I don’t care about your daughter. None of that matters to me.”
According to the lawsuit, Phillips is seeking compensation of more than $35,000 for the damages.
