Judge enters default judgment in suit against Kanye West’s private school

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As a former educator with years of experience under my belt, I can’t help but feel disheartened by the news about Kanye West’s school, Donda Academy. I’ve seen my fair share of challenges in educational institutions, but this story is truly exceptional – or perhaps I should say, extraordinary, given the principal character.

On Wednesday, a court in Los Angeles Superior Court entered a ruling in favor of Kanye West’s Christian private school, following a lawsuit brought by a previous staff member. The judge made this decision based on the school’s failure to respond to the lawsuit within the allotted timeframe.

Isaiah Meadows, who used to be the assistant principal at Yeezy Christian Academy (now known as Donda Academy), filed a request for a default judgment in his case alleging wrongful termination and unpaid wages against the school and other parties, since they failed to show up in court through authorized lawyers.

In a recent decision, Judge Christopher K. Lui granted Meadows’ request. Moreover, he decided to remove the responses that the defendants – Yeezy Christian Academy, Donda Services LLC, and Strokes Canyon LLC – provided in response to Meadows’ complaint.

Previously, a legal representative for West, along with the three other accused, flatly rejected “every claim made in Meadows’ lawsuit” in a document submitted to the court.

In August, Brian Blumfield, West’s latest lawyer who was handling his case along with other business matters, asked for his dismissal from the case. This was due to the defendants ending their association with him in June and their refusal to communicate or pay him, as stated in court documents. The judge agreed to this request.

Meadows claimed that he pointed out numerous concerns regarding health and safety at the school to both West and the school’s leadership, but these matters were not resolved. Eventually, Meadows was terminated from his position.

The grievance states that one classroom’s skylight lacked any panes of glass, resulting in rain entering the structure. It seems that West disliked having glass.

“Water would soak into the floor, which would lead to a moldy smell for the next few days.”

Moreover, it was reported that both electric and phone cables were left uncovered in some areas, leading to a case where an electrical fire broke out close to a student cafeteria.

In 2020, Meadows was proposed a salary of $165,000 to work, as stated in the lawsuit. Yet, he asserted that West subsequently failed to honor their agreement to cover his rental expenses following three months of on-time payments – Meadows had moved his family from North Hollywood to Calabasas for the job at the school.

According to Meadows, he stopped making rental payments in February 2021, following his suspension due to him requesting meetings and expressing worries about the school’s operational issues.

It was claimed that his wages were reduced and subsequently, he found himself working as both a teacher’s aid and a physical education instructor. In the month of April, he expressed his grievances regarding his salary and that of fellow employees via an email.

Approximately two weeks prior to the commencement of the 2022 academic year, Meadows received notice of his termination without any reason given for this decision.

Since 2023, West and Donda Academy have faced at least five lawsuits, with allegations of a hostile work environment due to West’s behavior. These claims encompass accusations of discrimination, antisemitism, retaliation, as well as multiple health and safety concerns related to the school properties in Calabasas, Simi Valley, and eventually Chatsworth.

In October 2022, Donda Academy unexpectedly closed its doors due to a series of consequences following Kanye West’s controversial anti-Semitic remarks. This controversy resulted in several of his business associates, including the Gap and Adidas, ending their professional relationships with him.

Although some rumors suggested the school resumed operations not long after, as per the California Department of Education, the school has actually remained shut since June of this year.

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2024-12-12 04:01