Diddy‘s Harlem charter school is reportedly plagued with violence and dysfunction with students reportedly being forced to sit inside the cafeteria for hours due to a lack of teachers.
Diddy, born Sean Combs, co-founded Capital Preparatory Harlem in 2016, the same year Forbes named him the richest man in Hip-Hop. Nearly a decade later, The Cut reports that Diddy’s Harlem charter school, which is advertised as an elite college-prep academy with high-end facilities, has been mired in dysfunction and violence.
To note: Diddy’s charter school, which is located in East Harlem, one of New York City’s poorest neighborhoods, serves nearly 500 students in grades six through twelve, the majority of whom are Black and low-income. The school, backed by Diddy and Steve Perry — a charter school founder whose reputation was built on uplifting poor kids of color, was supposed to be a beacon of light in the city’s education system.
However, The Cut reports that after Capital Preparatory Harlem attracted tons of parents and children wanting to align themselves with the mogul’s school, resources have since dried up and fights and subsequent schoolwide lockdowns continue to break out, thus creating an atmosphere of fear and chaos, according to a former staff member and parents.
One former teacher even alleged that students would sit for hours and hours in the cafeteria without having any classes to attend. They claimed that when students did have class, they would be taught by a constantly rotating group of substitute teachers.
Meanwhile, one student’s parent claimed their child questioned them, asking, “Ma, what am I going for? There’s nobody there. There’s no teacher. There’s nothing to do. We’re sitting in a room all day.” According to The Cut, students reportedly left the school with their parents questioning their transcripts that reportedly said their children failed and passed classes they never took; thus creating issues for when it comes time to apply to colleges.
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However, in June 2023, Diddy was celebrated at the Apollo Theater for his work in education. At the celebration, three of his school’s graduates went on stage, eager to meet the Harlem-born rapper and their school’s unofficial mascot; but, he did not show reportedly due to travel issues. While on stage, the graduates claimed they all got accepted into college.
Five months later, Diddy’s Harlem charter school was forced to sever ties with the mogul after his former girlfriend, singer Cassie, filed a lawsuit accusing him of rape, abuse, and sex trafficking. A day later, Diddy settled her $30 million lawsuit out of court. Since the November 2023 suit, three additional women and one man have filed lawsuits against the mogul, alleging similar claims of abuse and sexual misconduct.
Since severing ties with Diddy, the fallout continues at Capital Preparatory Harlem. Fourteen people including former employees, parents, and their students have spoken out about the increasing alleged dysfunction and violence at Diddy’s school causing tons of teacher turnover.
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As mentioned, former employees have alleged that due to the high turnover, students would go months on end without being taught some subjects and would instead be forced to sit in the lunch room for hours. In addition to teachers coming and going, the leadership has followed suit. The school has reportedly seen seven principals or interim principals in the last seven years.
The Cut also reported that teachers would go short on necessities like chairs and computers, and has faced “botched record-keeping, resulting in incorrect grades, transcripts, schedules, and test data.” Parents also alleged that there was a bedbug outbreak, and when Diddy was still in association, he reportedly made occasional visits for photo ops but had little to do with the school. One parent said, “He was supposed to be an inspiration to those children, coming from what you might consider the hood — and he was not.”
Responding to the parents, students, and former employees, Shenique Coston, director of communications and development for the school’s network, stated, “We accept and are saddened that some scholars and colleagues were not pleased with their experience. However, we affirmatively state that many of the allegations included in your fact-checking list are fabrications.” Additionally, Steve Perry and representatives for Diddy have not responded to the allegations.
Currently, Capital Preparatory Harlem is enrolling students for the 2024-25 school year, which marks its first year without an official affiliation with Diddy.
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