A Los Angeles judge has ordered Kanye West to sit for a deposition in a lawsuit filed by a former Donda Academy employee.
The ruling gives the rapper 30 days to appear in person and face questioning from opposing counsel. The case was filed in April 2024 by Trevor Phillips, who worked for both Donda Academy and West’s Yeezy brand.
Phillips claims he endured harassment, discrimination, and retaliation during his time there. His lawsuit accuses West of expressing antisemitic views to staff, berating Black employees, and even suggesting shaving students’ heads and building a jail on school grounds.
The complaint lists 11 causes of action, including discrimination, hostile work environment, wrongful termination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Phillips is seeking damages, as well as an injunction to stop West and his companies from running schools for minors in California.
Court documents show Phillips’ lawyers tried multiple times to get West to testify, but after months of delays, the judge’s latest order sets a firm deadline for the deposition.
Phillips also alleges West praised Adolf Hitler, denied the Holocaust, misused school funds, and forced staff to work in unsafe conditions—all before Donda Academy shut down in 2023.
When the lawsuit was first filed, Phillips’ attorney Carney R. Shegerian said: “By filing this lawsuit, we hope our injured clients’ rights are vindicated, and that the famous artist Mr. West understands that his messages — which we alleged preach discrimination, antisemitism and Hitler-love — have no place in the world.”
