Kanye West Allegedly Accused of Antisemitism and Misconduct by Former Employee
Explosive Lawsuit Details Troubling Allegations Against West and His School
A former employee at Kanye West’s embattled Christian private school, Donda Academy, has filed a lawsuit alleging discrimination, wrongful termination, and retaliation by the rapper and fashion mogul. The lawsuit, filed in Los Angeles, accuses West, also known as Ye, of making threatening statements, spewing antisemitic rhetoric, and boasting about misusing school funds, among other disturbing behaviors.
According to Trevor Phillips, who worked at Yeezy and Donda Academy for nine months starting in November 2022, West reportedly made offensive remarks during staff meetings, including comparing himself to Hitler. He supposedly physically threatened Phillips during an argument and instructed schoolchildren to shave their heads and locked them in imaginary cages. The lawsuit also implicates the school and West’s fashion brand Yeezy as defendants.
Allegations of Hate Speech and Inappropriate Conduct
The lawsuit, filed against West and related entities, seeks $35,000 in damages. Phillips’ lawyer, Carney R. Shegerian, expresses in a statement to The Daily Beast: “By filing this lawsuit, we hope our injured clients’ rights are vindicated, and that the famous artist Mr. West understands that his messages—which we alleged preach discrimination, antisemitism, and Hitler-love—have no place in the world.”
While West’s legal representatives and his camp have not yet commented, their response to previous lawsuits filed by former Donda Academy faculty has involved dismissing the allegations against the school.
From Yeezy to Donda Academy: Behind the Scenes
Initially employed by Yeezy, Phillips transitioned to work for Donda Academy—a K-12 private school located in Simi Valley, California—amidst the controversy surrounding West’s antisemitic online comments. The backlash toward the artist’s comments in October 2022 resulted in business partners such as Adidas and Gap severing ties with Yeezy, as well as the school’s landlord ending their association.
As part of his hybrid role, Phillips claims to have been on-call without receiving his full salary while at Donda Academy. The lawsuit reveals that West voiced discriminatory conspiracies about Jews during meetings, leaving staffers in fear of reprisal if they challenged or opposed his viewpoints.
Unsettling Encounters and Disconcerting Remarks
On one occasion, in the presence of schoolchildren, West allegedly made offensive comments, expressed his preference for dating white women, and threatened to put the children in cages at the school. The lawsuit describes an instance where West mocked overweight employees and implied that they would be fired as a result of their weight.
Furthermore, the suit describes a troubling encounter at the Nobu Hotel in Malibu. During a three-hour meeting, West denied the Holocaust, expressed admiration for Hitler, and made derogatory comments about the LGBTQ community. The artist allegedly stated that gay people were controlled by Bill Gates to limit population growth.
Phillips also claims that West coerced them to watch The Batman without sound and simulated masturbation while discussing sexual matters.
Additional Claims and a Deteriorating Relationship
The lawsuit also alleges that West boasted to school and Yeezy staff about spending $20 million from the school’s budget on a trip to Paris. The legal documents assert that West displayed preferential treatment toward white employees while berating his Black employees.
As time went on, the relationship between West and Phillips became increasingly strained. The suit mentions a “temper tantrum” thrown by West in May 2023, during which he threatened to physically assault Phillips over a disagreement regarding a garden project. According to the lawsuit, West fired and rehired Phillips until the school ultimately shut down in August 2023.
The explosive nature of the allegations and the lawsuit adds to the already tarnished reputation surrounding West and his embattled school. This legal battle seems set to deepen the controversy surrounding his conduct and the leadership of Donda Academy.
