Entertainment

Kanye West banned black history books from school, fed kids sushi: lawsuit

A former teacher at Kanye West’s Donda Academy alleges that the star banned books on black history from the school — and that students went hungry after only being fed sushi.

Cecilia Hailey, who is suing West, the Chatsworth, Calif., school and its directors for racial discrimination and wrongful termination, claimed that the rapper banned books — including “The Lost Boys of Sudan,” by Mark Bixler, which focuses on four victims of the brutal Sudanese conflict.

She told Page Six there are now believed to be between just 35 to 40 pupils left at the $15,000-a-year private Christian school, claiming: “Kanye didn’t want anything to do with a lot of black history books.

“There was one book called ‘The Lost Boys of Sudan’ that was banned because one of the parents got shot in the book. But the kids were reading ‘Harry Potter’ and there are murders in [those] books.

“Kanye wanted nothing to do with history, I was told.”

Kanye West

Kanye West is under fire from two former teachers at his Donda Academy.GC Images

Cecilia Hailey

Cecilia Hailey says she joined Kanye West’s Donda Academy only to find chaos — including sushi for lunch and a lack of history books.

The lawsuit claims that students were only given chef-prepared sushi for lunch.

“There was no breakfast. You had young kids eating raw sushi and cucumber rolls every day,” Hailey said. “A lot of the kids didn’t like it and that’s all they had.

“This is not a nutritional meal. There are state guidelines and nobody paid attention. I thought it was not only rude, but cruel.”

Kim Kardashian, Kanye West, North West, Saint West

None of West’s four children with ex-wife Kim Kardashian attend his Donda Academy.MEGA

Hailey, who has been a teacher and an administrator for more than 25 years, joined the school last November right when it reopened after a brief shutdown amid the fallout of West’s anti-Semitic scandal.

Hailey alleged: “Kanye would never have sent his own children to Donda, no way … it was just a luxury day care.”

Although Hailey initially worked at the school as a substitute teacher, she said, she was given a contract in January after helping the current principal, Moira Love, solve ongoing issues.

Kanye West, Donda West.

West named his school after his beloved mother Donda, who died in 2007.Getty Images

She alleged that administrators struggled with behavioral issues and disorganization, and that students were not being taught properly.

“The kids had so many changes, so many teachers. I was like the fourth or fifth they had in the third grade, and they had had 10 principals in three years,” Hailey told Page Six.

“It wasn’t that the kids were bad, it was that there was so much disruption.”

Hailey is joined in her lawsuit by her daughter, Chekarey Byers, another Donda teacher.

The two claim in legal documents, seen by Page Six, that they were discriminated against based on their race, had wages illegally withheld and were terminated on March 3 in retaliation for reporting code violations.

Donda school

Children at the Donda Academy are not given homework and don’t have any formal structure, ex-teacher Hailey said.kanyewest/Instagram

Another big issue, Hailey said, is that students were not disciplined and bullying was widespread.

She recounted an incident in which a fifth-grade student slapped an eighth-grader in the face.

“The next day she came back and bragged about it,” Hailey claimed, “and no action was taken.

“The teachers recommended the child be expelled but nothing was done. The explanation was that Kanye wants certain marginalized kids in school, but this was a kid who assaulted people and didn’t need to be around other children. “

The Lost Boys of Sudan

West banned “The Lost Boys of Sudan,” according to Hailey.

Hailey added of the fifth-grader: “She was kind of dangerous and there were kids living in fear of her, nobody did anything about it. I found that incredibly wrong.”

Page Six has reached out to Love for comment and was not able to reach West, who is not believed to have a representative at the moment.

Hailey said she has no clue why parents are leaving their children enrolled at the school, which reportedly offers no grading system, but suggested they could be star-struck by West, whom she has still never met.

Donda Academy

The school moved from Simi Valley, Calif., to this office building in Chatsworth.Los Angeles Times via Getty Imag

‘I believe that, unfortunately, the school needs to shut down. The kids need to be home schooled because it’s so late in the semester — and get actual grades and transcripts so they can transfer to another school. At the moment, they’re making a mess of these children.”

Hailey said she was told by Love she would be fired if she ever talked to West, after requesting to talk to the star, and that she was called “aggressive.”

“The thing that upset me is that he would go to his own children’s activities, but he would never come to Donda,” she alleged.

“Donda could be a wonderful place. We’ve got great students, but no leadership.”

Related Posts

Kevin Hart to complete his 2024 “Acting My Age” tour with a homecoming stop in Philadelphia this December

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Kevin Hart will complete his 2024 “Acting My Age” stand-up comedy tour in his hometown Philadelphia with a homecoming stop on Dec. 4 at The Met Philadelphia. The tour kicks…

EXCLUSIVE: Kourtney Kardashian Barker Talks Lemme’s Recent Target Launch Ahead of Celebratory Star-studded Brunch

Today, Kourtney Kardashian Barker celebrated her wellness brand Lemme‘s recent Target launch with a star-studded brunch. Kardashian Barker’s family and close friends attended, including Kris Jenner, Khloé Kardashian, Phil Riportella, Stephanie Suganami,…

Kourtney Kardashian keeps it casual in a zip-up hoodie and oversized sweatpants as she leaves a studio in LA

Kourtney Kardashian opted for a comfortable look as she stepped out in Los Angeles on Monday. The reality TV star, 44, looked cozy in a black zip-up hoodie and a pair of matching…

Who is Gal Gadot’s husband Yaron Varsano?

ACTRESS Gal Gadot Yaron Varsano welcomed their third child in June 2021. On June 29, Gadot shared a photo of her and her husband along with their three…

“Bringing Hope and Joy: Gal Gadot Spreads Superhero Cheer in Wonder Woman Attire at Children’s Hospital Visit”

Gal Gadot, who made a name for herself as the lead in the hit film Wonder Woman, recently spread joy among viewers of Inova Children’s Hospital in Falls…

Gal Gadot rocks a leggy look with some sideboob at the world premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles

Gal Gadot rocked a rather leggy look while hitting the red carpet at the world premiere of Barbie in Los Angeles. The 38-year-old Israeli-born beauty was all smiles while…