Tag: DONDA Academy

A former teacher of Donda Academy is issuing a stern warning to parents that students enrolled might suffer academically in the long-term. And that is a significant issue.

Kanye West Opens Up About Donda Academy

In September 2022, Kanye West went live, giving the public a glimpse into his venture into education with Donda Academy.

“We spread the gospel.” @kanywest talks about Donda Academy — a private school he created named after his late mother Donda West. https://t.co/pJ0AQzgKkj pic.twitter.com/WdoQJpPxkA

— Good Morning America (@GMA) September 22, 2022

At the time, it was reported that the school had been in operation for three years. And according to The Cut, the student body comprised 83 students. And Ye made some bold claims about the academy’s staff, curriculum, and success. As The Cut quotes, Kanye told the press at the time,

“The school was currently in its third year, with 82 enrolled students, and claimed teachers employed at the school could actually turn your kids into, like, geniuses, with focused tutoring”

While not much was done to confirm the claim time would tell a different story. 

Brewing Trouble

Earlier this month, former instructors at Donda Academy lodged a lawsuit. The former instructors filed based on wrongful termination. In the filing, there were several violations that the two instructors noted. According to Page Six, “Cecilia Hailey and Chekarey Byers claimed in legal documents obtained that they [instructors] were discriminated against because of their race. They had wages illegally withheld and were terminated in March 2023 in retaliation for reporting code violations.” 

Shocking News

Some violations were unbelievable, jaw-dropping findings. Some of those violations included both educational and health violations. Page Six additionally noted,

“The documents also claim that students were fed only one meal per day, which was sushi, and prohibited from bringing in outside food or anything other than water to drink.”

And that was only some of the reported issues. 

Instructor Has News for Donda Academy Parents/Students

Now Cecilia Halley is not only calling Ye to court but is appealing to the parents of students enrolled. Halley went on record with TMZ to tell parents that there children were behind academically. And their education future at any other institution could be in jeopardy. As TMZ notes,

“She says the kids aren’t getting graded at the unaccredited school, so transferring could be problematic.”

Which is indeed serious. 

Donda Academy and Accreditation

This should not shock many, as it has been reported that Donda Academy is unaccredited. What is accreditation? According to the International Accreditation Service,

“Accreditation is a formal, independent verification that a program or institution meets established quality standards and is competent to carry out specific conformity assessment tasks.” And this goes a long way toward the progress of students that attend specific educational institutions and their work and achievements being broadly recognized. Thus, if an institution is unaccredited, whatever is earned from the non-accredited organization holds no weight at other accredited bodies. 

Nothing Hidden

Afro Tech reported in the fall of 2022 that Donda Academy was indeed unaccredited, and the parents/students were required to sign a NDA (non-disclosure agreement) before attending. As Afro Tech notes, “Since the school is not accredited, graduating seniors risk not having their credits or diplomas recognized by colleges. In addition, all parents are reportedly required to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) for their children to attend.”

What to Make of Halley’s Accreditation Argument

Fundamentally, Halley is preaching to the choir. The fact that Kanye owns the academy may simply be the lure for many who have signed their children up to attend. Additionally, one must consider it’s not accreditation that drew these parents. Then maybe the parents are unaware of what is going on and what this all means in the long run. 

What Does All This Mean for Donda Academy

Whatever the case, the issues that arise spell trouble for West and Donda Academy. As with all things, one must do their due diligence to flesh out what is happening here. It’s worth doing the research before making judgments. But it is indeed something to keep tabs on. For, as it is said, the light will find you out, meaning all things are uncovered at some point.

Written By: Renae Richardson