Ye's Donda Academy Students Nearly Put In Cages, Staff Faced Physical Threats New Lawsuit Alleges

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Kanye West meets with US President Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, October 11, 2018. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Trevor Phillips is the latest ex-employee to take legal action against Ye and his school.

As a Gemini, Ye's fast-paced, intellectual brain finds happiness in constant stimulation. It's no wonder he has his hands in the worlds of rapping, producing, designing clothing, styling his loved ones, and countless other creative business ventures. A few years ago, one of the father of four's biggest passion projects was his Donda Academy school, though it's now causing Ye far more strife than he likely ever anticipated. Lawsuits came flooding in last summer, and today (April 2), another plaintiff joined in the fight against the "Good Morning" rapper.

Documents obtained by NBC News reveal that Trevor Phillips' experience working at Donda Academy was less than ideal. Ye reportedly "compared himself to Hitler, minus the gas chambers," and even appeared to "simulate masturbation during a one-on-one meeting in a Southern California hotel room" while watching The Batman on mute. Elsewhere in the same lawsuit, Phillips speaks of Black people being called out in a discriminatory manner, being pushed to do renovations without permits, and threats of being fired for being "fat."

This Isn’t the First Lawsuit Against Ye and Donda Academy

Phillips recalls Ye "gloating" to the staff at both Yeezy and Donda Academy about using millions of dollars from the school's budget toward a trip to Paris. He was ultimately fired after an issue with the garden in the school, at which time the Atlanta native became explosively angry and told his staffer, "I was going to punch you in the face." On top of all of this, the private Christian school founder allegedly expressed interest in shaving student's heads and locking them in cages.

Interestingly, it was little more than a month ago that Ye announced the return of his controversial Donda Academy under a slightly different name, along with a few other changes. However, no matter how much he alters his programs, freedom of expression will always remain at the heart of his school's core values. Read more about what Yeezy is planning for future students at the link below, and check back later for more music/pop culture news updates.

[Via]

About The Author
Hayley Hynes is the former Weekend Managing Editor of HotNewHipHop, she stepped down after two years in 2024 to pursue other creative opportunities but remains on staff part-time to cover music, gossip, and pop culture news. Currently, she contributes similar content on Blavity and 21Ninety, as well as on her personal blog where she also offers tarot/astrology services. Hayley resides on the western side of Canada, previously spending a year in Vancouver to study Fashion Marketing at Blanche Macdonald Centre and Journalism at Mount Royal University in Calgary before that. She's passionate about helping others heal through storytelling, and shares much more about her life on Instagram @hayleyhynes.
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