Kanye West sued by former employee over alleged ‘racist’ behaviour

Kanye West has been sued by another former employee who has alleged staffers suffered racist abuse at the hands of the rapper.

Benjamin Deshon Provo, formerly of fashion brand Yeezy and Donda Academy, said he was fired after blowing the whistle about alleged labour code violations.

In a lawsuit filed Friday morning in Los Angeles, Mr Provo claims that he “suffered severe discrimination, harassment and retaliation by Kanye West” during the time he served as a security guard at the infamous Donda Academy.

According to TheWrap, Mr Provo claimed in the filing that West “frequently screamed at and berated black employees, while in contrast, he never so much as raised his tone of voice toward white staff”.

Mr Provo also alleged that he was discriminated against because he is Muslim and was ordered to cut his dreadlocks or be fired.

The lawsuit goes on to state, “During Plaintiff’s employment, Kanye openly expressed his displeasure with black authors. Specifically, in or around mid-2023, Kanye required that anyone associated with Donda dispose of books related to Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and other prominent figures in the black community.”

The rapper is also said to have “expressed negative beliefs associated with prominent black leaders that advocated for or sought to advance the black community”.

“Such offensive opinions were particularly troubling to Plaintiff, who is unapologetically black,” the lawsuit says.

The lawsuit also alleges that West engaged in whistleblowing retaliation, wrongful termination and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Mr Provo is asking for a jury trial and a settlement of more than $US35,000 ($53,600).

He also asks for the 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.

Meanwhile, West, who split from celebrity entrepreneur Kim Kardashian in 2022 after a decade together, apologised to Jewish people on social media last year over previous antisemitic outbursts.

The rapper has spoken openly about his struggles with mental health, and Kardashian has called for understanding as he works through issues.

It came after a former employee claimed the rapper had told schoolchildren he was being persecuted by Jewish people.

Read related topics:Kanye West

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