Kanye West is being sued for racial discrimination from a former security guard
The 46-year-old rapper is the subject of a lawsuit filed by Benjamin Deshon Provo - who worked for the 'All Day' hitmaker at both his Donda Academy school and at a warehouse used as storage for Yeezy clothing - in which the former employee alleged the controversial star subjected Black employees to "less favourable treatment than their White counterparts"
2 May 2024
Documents obtained by People magazine alleged Kanye "frequently screamed at and berated Black employees" and fired Benjamin for refusing to cut his dreadlocks.
The security guard told how he began working for Kanye around August 2021 and after six months at Donda Academy, when the school moved locations he was "assigned additional job duties as a result of a lack of staffing, which included the 'Vultures' rapper's Sunday Service events and at his Yeezy warehouse. During that time, he alleged he was asked to place himself and paparazzi "in harm's way" by snatching cameras from waiting photographers.
Additionally, Benjamin claimed Kanye made "anyone associated with Donda dispose of books related to Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and other prominent figures in the Black community" and alleged he was paid less than non-Black employees "for no discernible reason".
The lawsuit accused Kanye of displaying a "stark difference" in the way he treated Black employees to other staff members and claimed he was "always abrupt, abrasive, and demeaning of Plaintiff and his Black counterparts."
When the man complained about the pay disparity to his line manager John Hicks, he was told not to raise the topic with Kanye and shortly afterwards saw a "decrease in his paycheques", which his white colleagues didn't experience, and was told the rapper "can't afford security right now".
In April 2023, the 'Bound 2' hitmaker allegedly "unjustifiably and unreasonably began demanding that Plaintiff and others shave their heads," despite Benjamin wearing his hair in dreadlocks "as an exercise of his Muslim faith."
The document added: "As a result of Plaintiff's non-compliance with Kanye's demands that his head be shaved, Hicks and Kanye began to exert pressure on Plaintiff to do the same.
"Kanye began to become increasingly more aggressive, demanding [and dec lared] 'It is time for you to shave your heads. I am not messing around.'
"However, Plaintiff refused. Thereafter, Hicks approached Plaintiff and stated, 'Kanye said, 'Tell the one with the dreads to shave his head or he is fired.' Plaintiff refused to shave his head, and as a result thereof, his employment was terminated."
The plaintiff is seeking damages for the alleged discrimination, retaliation, hostile work environment, labour code violations and for attorney fees, as well as a "preliminary and permanent injunction, and a public injunction, against all Defendants, prohibiting them from owning and operating any type of educational school for minor children under the age of 18 years in the state of California."
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