Ye, formerly Kanye West, has always aimed for the stars—nothing in between. Amidst his dreams of making a name in showbiz and celebratory artistic evolution, the Atlanta-born native has walked many slippery slopes, but not even for a minute has he let go of his resilience. However, no matter how big of a visionary, Ye has had to cut short many of his aspirations, and one of them was probably his passion project, the Donda Academy.

While Ye is no stranger to the trials of life, what exactly stood in the way of his dream coming true?

American rapper Ye founded the Donda Academy in 2022. It was an unaccredited Christian private school for pre-kindergarten to twelfth-grade students in Simi Valley, California. However, following the Atlanta native’s infamous row of antisemitic tirades that year, it was reported that the school had shut its doors almost suddenly. While the Donda Academy reopened only hours later, the California Department of Education currently lists it as closed.

The school was originally founded in late 2020 in Calabasas, but in 2022, the rapper revealed it was located at the former site of the Simi Valley Stoneridge Preparatory School. The academy was named after his mother, Donda West. Although the antisemitic remarks had already staff resigning from the Donda Academy, the ‘Vultures’ artist was also dragged to court over the wrongful termination of teachers. 

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It was not until just recently that a settlement was reached regarding the trial. However, for those uninitiated with the events, here is a rundown of what went down with the Donda Academy.

After Ye’s antisemitic unleashing in 2022, former Donda Academy teachers Cecilia Hailey and her daughter Chekarey Byers sought redress against wrongful termination, unpaid wages, and the school’s safety violations, among other claims. They claimed they were fired in response to their stance about the school’s operations after the academy officially shut down in June 2024. 

Although this is not the first time controversies surrounding inappropriate workplace conduct and mistreatment of employees attached to Ye's projects have been raised, another ex-Donda Academy instructor joined the case over a reported breach of contract. However, in March, the case was resolved weeks before it was set for trial. The settlement requires Ye to complete his obligations within 45 days. 

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Did you know about Ye's Donda Academy and what happened to it? Let us know in the comments below!