Fired Donda Academy Teachers Sue Kanye West, Allege School Had 'Lack of Safety' — Including Only Serving Sushi

In a lawsuit filed Thursday, the mother and daughter allege the Simi Valley, California, prep school instituted bizarre rules for students, while safety and educational standards went unchecked

Two women who were fired as teachers at Kanye West's Donda Academy are suing the rap star, claiming his private Christian school allegedly violated multiple Department of Education requirements and did not follow state regulations, according to a complaint obtained by PEOPLE.

Among the allegations in a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court on Thursday, Cecilia Hailey and her daughter Chekarey Byers allege that the Simi Valley, California, school employed teachers who were not trained to have Basic Life Support skills, that there was a "lack of safety" regarding students which led to frequent bullying incidents, that the campus lacked a school nurse and janitorial services, and that the Donda Academy was "not following nutritional guidelines" for school meals.

"As an educator with over twenty-five years of experience and having served as the dean of two colleges, Hailey detected multiple health and safety violations, as well as unlawful educational practices at Donda Academy," the lawsuit claims, noting that "in an effort to bring attention to the unlawful and unsafe practices, Hailey complained to the director/principal of Donda Academy, Moira Love on at least three separate occasions."

Related:Kanye West to Open Donda Academy Prep School in Simi Valley, Accepting Admission Applications

As a result of Hailey and Byers reporting such code violations, the mother and daughter were fired in March, the lawsuit claims. The women, who were the only female Black teachers at the school, also allege that they were discriminated against based on race and "illegally had wages withheld or were repeatedly improperly paid."

A representative for West did not immediately return PEOPLE's request for a comment regarding the lawsuit.

After starting at the school as a substitute teacher in November, Hailey was promoted to third-grade teacher in January, and her daughter was hired later that month as a fifth-grade teacher.

In the months following, the women noted multiple "unusual rules" and policies that the school did institute — including serving sushi to students every day.

Related:Kanye West Says It 'Hurts' His Feelings That People Think He's 'Crazy'

"Additionally, throughout the entirety of Plaintiffs' employment, the only lunch available for students was sushi, every single day," the lawsuit alleges. "Students were not allowed to bring any outside food or anything other than water. It was widely known that West spends $10,000.00 a week on sushi."

Other "strict rules and requirements that the school had no choice but to adhere to," according to the lawsuit, included a school-wide ban on crossword puzzles or coloring sheets, and children were forbidden to use forks or utensils and were required to wear black head-to-toe.

"Only West's issued or designed apparel was allowed to be worn. Nike and Adidas brands were forbidden," the lawsuit states.

Also, classes were not allowed to take place on the second floor "as Defendant WEST reportedly did not want children or staff to go upstairs since he was reportedly afraid of stairs," and West "reportedly did not allow chairs, so children had to sit on foam cushions or stand, and teachers had to stand or use a stool," according to the lawsuit.

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Students were also made to eat lunch on the floor, per the complaint.

"Things were just chaotic," Hailey told ABC 7 Los Angeles in an interview. "There was no order, they didn't have some curriculum."

Hailey and Byers are seeking more than $1 million in damages for lost wages and emotional distress, per ABC 7.

In October 2021, West announced that he was opening the prep school, which at the time claimed on its website that it would provide students with "a world-class education that includes a rigorous core curriculum, and an emphasis on sustainability, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving," making them the "next generation of leaders, thinkers, and innovators."

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