Whew! Another day, another lawsuit filed against Kanye West. This time a former employee of Yeezy and Donda Academy, Trevor Phillips, has made serious allegations against the rapper.
Phillips claims that West wanted to establish a jail at his school to confine students, threatened physical violence against him, and displayed discriminatory behavior towards Black employees while giving preferential treatment to white staff members, according to a new lawsuit obtained by Rolling Stone.
This latest suit that was filed Tuesday in Los Angeles, joining a number of former employees who are suing the 46-year-old, spans to 42 pages. It highlights Phillips’ experiences working for the controversial artist. It details instances of abrupt dismissals, late-night meetings at Nobu, peculiar activities like watching movies on mute, and uncomfortable encounters involving inappropriate behavior by West.
Phillips, who is Black, alleges that West exhibited a pattern of mistreatment towards Black staff members, contrasting with his demeanor towards white employees. The lawsuit also references West’s controversial statements, including threats directed towards the LGBTQ+ community and disturbing remarks made in the presence of Donda Academy students.
Furthermore, Phillips recounts instances where he pushed back against West’s discriminatory behavior, only to face harassment and threats of violence in return. The lawsuit highlights a tumultuous work environment characterized by erratic demands and unprofessional conduct on West’s part.
Speaking about those experiences, Phillips recalls a Nobu meeting in 2022 where Ye allegedly went on a rant about Hitler’s greatness, and said the Holocaust was fake, and “gay people are not true Christians.” While speaking about another time of misconduct, Phillip recalls Ye lying flat on s bed and then making “slow up and down motions with his hand just above his genitals as though he was masturbating” and talking about his sex life, according to the lawsuit. The rapper then FaceTimed a woman and instructed her to wear lingerie and shoes he bought for her.
Phillips noted that he “immediately recognized the female’s name because only a few weeks earlier, while at the Yeezy headquarters, Kanye had flaunted nude pictures of her to many of the Yeezy staff members.”
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More On Phillips Time Working At The Donna Academy:
Aside from that, Phillips went into detail about the troubling moments while working the academy. According to the lawsuit, some of Ye’s “dangerous rhetoric” was repeated in front of Donda Academy students. He allegedly once told two children that he wanted them to “shave their heads and that he intended to put a jail at the school. He also allegedly told them that they could be locked in “cages.” Per the suit obtained by Rolling Stone, the artist allegedly “responded mercilessly, with incessant harassment, humiliation, and attempts to both mentally control, and destroy, Phillips,” when he tried to address these issues.
The lawsuit filed by Shegerian & Associates claims goes on to claim that “Kanye’s ill-will towards the plaintiff ultimately culminated in a vulgar lashing in front of schoolchildren and their parents. Kanye even threatened Phillips with physical violence.”
Furthermore, despite being promised a specific hourly rate, Phillips who was also hired in November 2022 to work for the fashion line Yeezy, claims he was underpaid and faced delays in receiving payments due to financial complications within the Yeezy organization. His responsibilities at Yeezy evolved to include overseeing projects related to the school and community initiatives, adding to the complexity of his role.
He is now seeking compensation amounting to at least $35,000 for what he describes as retaliation for whistleblowing, racial discrimination, and fostering a hostile work environment, among other grievances.