A former Donda Academy employee recently filed a lawsuit against Kanye West, the owner of the private Christian school. On Wednesday, a judge entered a default judgment after Kanye failed to appear at the hearing.
Isaiah Meadows, the former assistant principal of Donda Academy (previously known as Yeezy Christian Academy), has filed a lawsuit alleging termination and unpaid wages.
Brian Blumfield, the lawyer who represented Kanye earlier, had previously requested to be removed from the case as Kanye refused to pay him and cut off all ties. On Wednesday's hearing, Judge Christopher K. Lui thus entered a default judgment as the defenders - Kanye West, Yeezy Christian Academy, Donda Services LLC, and Strokes Canyon LLC - failed to appear with licensed lawyers.
Everything we know about Kanye West's legal woe with Donda Academy
According to Isaiah Meadows, he tried to voice the school's health and safety concerns to the principal but was repeatedly ignored. He also reported that electric and telephone wires being exposed at the academy once caused a fire near the students' dining area. He further highlighted the unsafe and unhygienic condition of the school by mentioning the windows were left with no glasses and the concerning condition of the overflowing septic tank.
Meadows also claimed that he was promised rent for a home for his family after he moved from North Hollywood for this job; however, it stopped after the first three months. His salary was also cut short as he got demoted from assistant principal to a teacher of physical education. He repeatedly tried to bring the authorities' attention to the issues, but no action was taken. He was ultimately fired in August 2022 with no prior notice or explanation.
Meadows' attorney Ronald Zambrano claimed his client's concerns evoked "no reaction" and were "kicked down the road."
Meadow's complaint is one of the five lawsuits filed against Kanye West and Donda Academy. In April 2023, two teachers named Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byres also filed a lawsuit at the Los Angeles Superior Court against Kanye's school. As per the court documents, both teachers tried to bring the authorities' attention to the unhealthy environment and unlawful educational practices of the school; however, no action was taken. One of the teachers claimed she was threatened when she sought to contact Kanye directly. Ultimately, both the teachers were terminated in March 2023.
Another teacher joined the lawsuit in June 2023 after she was told the school was "working on the kinks" when she tried to complain about the exposed electric wires and loose baseboards that might put the students in danger. The school was ultimately closed down for the 2022-23 academic year after Kanye lost ties with all major collaborators including Adidas.
Other complaints against Kanye included former Donda Academy employees named Trevor Philips and Benjamin Provo. Both of the employees alleged Kanye for harassment, racial discrimination, and retaliation. Philips sought $35,000 for the damages made to him by his former employer, Kanye West. Kanye's former lawyer, Brumfield, previously dismissed all allegations made against Donda Academy.
On Wednesday, Judge Christopher K. Lui clearly stated he was running out of patience and found the three companies in default and made no mention of postponing the trial, which is set to take place in April 2025.
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According to Rolling Stone, Meadows’ lawyer Ron Zambrano stated,
"We’re satisfied with the decision. This particular judge is not one to wait for things to happen. He makes sure things happen and happen correctly. He wants the case to move along without any weird loose ends. We’re looking forward to collecting a judgment."
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