Kanye West sued again: Yeezy employees allege toxic work environment, unpaid wages

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As a devoted fan of Kanye West’s music and artistry, I have always admired his innovative spirit and boundary-pushing creativity. However, it is with a heavy heart that I follow the latest developments in the ongoing legal troubles surrounding the rapper. The allegations of workplace abuses, racial discrimination, and sexual harassment at Yeezy and Donda Academy are deeply concerning and go against the values of inclusivity and respect that I have long associated with Kanye’s brand.

Kanye West, now known as Ye, finds himself in the midst of more legal issues. Former employees of his Yeezy brand have filed a lawsuit against him, following allegations of sexual harassment towards a personal assistant and workplace misconduct at Donda Academy, which came to light earlier this year.

I, along with attorneys Jordanna Thigpen and Ben Locklyer, filed a lawsuit this past weekend in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. On behalf of eight individuals, four of whom are minors, we claim that we developed an app for a well-known rapper’s brand. The complaint we submitted accuses Ye, Yeezy, and the rapper’s former chief of staff, Milo Yiannopoulos, of creating a harmful work environment. This workplace allegedly fostered racial discrimination, forced labor, and failed to compensate employees for their hard work.

A representative for Ye did not respond to The Times’ requests for comment.

As a passionate cinema-goer, I’d rephrase it as follows: I, an avid film enthusiast, was taken aback by Yiannopoulos’ dismissive response to the allegations against him, which he referred to as a “joke lawsuit.” In a statement released on Saturday (previously known as Twitter), he identified one accuser as disgruntled and labeled the complaint as the most deceitful legal document I’ve ever come across.

As a film enthusiast, I’m always on the lookout for exciting new developments in the world of entertainment. And one recent story that caught my attention is about Kanye West and his plans for a Yeezy streaming app. He announced back in March that he would be releasing his upcoming album “Vultures 2,” featuring Ty Dolla Sign, exclusively on this platform. With West’s controversial past, there was a lot of buzz surrounding his decision to create his own streaming service.

In the lawsuit, it is mentioned that the plaintiffs, who vary in age from 14 to 24 and come from various parts of the world, were obligated to put their signature on non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) and what are referred to as “volunteer” agreements during the acquisition. The primary mode of interaction between the developers was through Discord, a popular chat platform.

As a cinema devotee, I’d put it this way: In one of the discussions on Discord, I was unfortunate to witness an unsettling exchange. The conversation was unfortunately marred with derogatory comments based on age, race, gender, sexual orientation, and ethnicity, as stated in the lawsuit. There was even a distressing title for one channel – “New Slaves,” which echoed the name of a 2013 song by West. Sadly, some team members were referred to as “slaves.”

According to the lawsuit, Yiannopoulos is accused of promoting racist actions towards Shemar DaCosta, who is Black, by utilizing a racial emoji. The complaint states that offensive language and insults were frequently hurled at Black and African developers, leading to discrimination. Furthermore, minor developers working on YZYVSN reportedly faced harassment. The lawsuit alleges that white developers, who were part of the YZYVSN team, were clandestinely offered employment opportunities by Yiannopoulos.

I can relate to the experience shared by some plaintiffs as they claim they were pressured into working long hours without breaks and even had their pay at risk if they refused. This was a challenging situation for those of us living in different time zones, as it meant sacrificing valuable school and personal time to contribute to the project. The intensity of the work environment was amplified during “rush week,” when we all put in immense efforts to meet an early May deadline in anticipation of the release of Ye’s “Vultures 2.” Despite our collective effort, the app was reportedly completed on May 2nd; however, as of now, Ye has yet to unveil his new album.

The developers at YZYVSN, including those in lower positions, reportedly came across explicit content in the company’s Discord chats according to court documents. TMZ revealed in late April that Kanye West, also known as Ye, was considering launching his own adult content studio. Bianca Censori, West’s wife at the time, is said to have shared a link for hardcore pornography related to the Yeezy Porn App with a YZYVSN developer, while pornographic images were reportedly freely circulated on Discord.

“The defendants were aware of the toxic, abusive, and exploitative workplace conditions but failed to take any action to address or prevent it,” according to the lawsuit.

Yiannopoulos refuted the accusations made against him on Monday via X with a statement, asserting, “There’s no such thing as Yeezy Porn from me.” He added, “I took responsibility and resigned to prevent any potential harm.” In contrast, Yiannopoulos declared in a subsequent statement on Wednesday that he had Bianca’s permission to deny the “repugnant, distasteful, morally reprehensible, and completely unfounded” claims that he exposed minors to pornographic material.

Yiannopoulos responded to X by mentioning his efforts in ensuring fair compensation for developers, using the term “extensive emails” instead of “voluminous correspondence.” He also refuted accusations about exclusive chat groups that allegedly created a hostile work environment (“How could that be possible since you never worked here?”) and exploiting junior staff members.

The lawsuit claims that eight individuals, who are the plaintiffs, have not been compensated for their work on YZYVSN and have additionally dealt with emotional distress, including anxiety and depression, due to their employment experience with Yeezy. The lawsuit provides further information about each plaintiff’s individual experiences while working on the app. Before initiating the lawsuit, these individuals submitted harassment and discrimination grievances to the California Civil Rights Department, resulting in a “right to sue” notice.

The plaintiffs have requested a trial by jury and are claiming an undetermined compensation, which includes reimbursement for legal expenses, emotional harm, back pay, and overdue wages.

“According to attorney Thigpen, it is expected that a jury would hold these employers responsible.”

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2024-07-18 20:54