Kanye West settles Donda Academy lawsuit weeks before trial

Kanye West has settled a lawsuit against his Donda Academy.

The rapper was set to go on trial on April 9, 2025, over alleged wrongful termination and unpaid wages of several former teachers.

Now, West, 47, has agreed to a conditional settlement with Cecilia Hailey, et al, per Los Angeles Superior Court documents.

The plaintiffs will file a dismissal of the case once West meets his end of the settlement within 45 days, People Magazine has reported.

The lawsuit was filed in April 2023 by Hailey and her daughter Chekarey Byers, who were both fired as teachers at the private school West named after his late mother Donda.

The mother-daughter duo were reportedly terminated for raising concerns over violation of several Department of Education requirements at the campus, which has been closed since June 2024.

There was allegedly a "lack of safety," there were no school nurses or janitors on the campus, and the school wasn't following proper "nutritional guidelines" for meals, the complaint states.

West allegedly spent $10,000 on sushi every week and had it served as the students' lunch.

The lawsuit also alleges discrimination against them over being Black and "illegally had wages withheld or were repeatedly improperly paid."

The lawsuit alleges there were "strict rules and requirements that the school had no choice but to adhere to," such as banning the students from wearing any colour but black head-to-toe. Students were also not allowed to use any utensils and were forced to eat lunch on the floor.

Additionally, there were no classes on the second floor because West was reportedly afraid of stairs. He also "reportedly did not allow chairs, so children had to sit on foam cushions or stand, and teachers had to stand or use a stool," per the suit.

A third Donda Academy teacher, Timanii Meeks, then joined the case on June 1 of that year, per Rolling Stone. The plaintiffs sought over $1 million in damages for lost wages and emotional distress, per ABC 7 News.