Kanye West Faces $23 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Discrimination at Donda Academy
A former employee claims he was terminated for refusing to cut his dreadlocks, asserting the school lacked policies against discrimination.
A former employee of Kanye West's Donda Academy is seeking $23 million in damages, alleging discrimination and wrongful termination. Benjamin Provo, who is Black and Muslim, claims he was instructed to cut his dreadlocks, which he considered a symbol of his cultural and religious identity, and was subsequently fired when he refused.
Provo initially filed the lawsuit in April 2024, detailing three years of employment as a security guard at the academy. According to legal documents, Provo stated that West and his team “hated his hair” and demanded he shave his head. West's legal team has denied all of Provo's claims.
West faces a lawsuit based on claims made by a former worker at his Donda Academy in Southern California.
In his filing, Provo cited testimony from Milo Yiannopoulos, West's former chief of staff, suggesting a workplace culture where racially charged remarks were permissible. Provo's lawsuit includes Yiannopoulos's reported statements indicating that the company did not support a "woke" code of conduct for employees and that staff should accept West's provocative manner of speaking about religion.
Provo further asserted that Donda Academy and Yeezy LLC lacked a human resources department and any policies to protect employees from discrimination, harassment, or retaliation. He stated that no training on these subjects was provided.
The lawsuit also alleges that in mid-2023, West directed that books by prominent Black figures such as Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X be removed from the academy. Provo claims West said this was to prevent "indoctrination that creates the group think mindset" and that he, as a Christian, was "very heavy into pushing that agenda."
Provo maintains he was directly employed by Donda Academy Inc., Yeezy LLC, and West himself, starting in April 2022. His responsibilities reportedly included providing security for West, his Yeezy business, and his Sunday Service events.
The trial for the case is scheduled to begin on October 12.