Former Donda Academy teacher Cecilia Hailey, who (alongside her former colleagues) is currently suing Kanye West for wrongful termination, has made disturbing new allegations regarding her time at the school.
In an interview with The U.S. Sun, Hailey shared her experience following West’s antisemitism controversy in 2022 at the school located in Chatsworth, a Los Angeles suburb. She stated Donda Academy was more like a “zoo” and said that challenging West’s demands proved ineffective.
“He did want the children to learn marching,” Hailey said. She also claimed that having kids shooting guns was also a part of West’s plan.
“He wanted all the children to be educated in how to carry a gun, how to shoot a gun. I’m like, ‘Are you kidding me? I’m not having my third graders out learning how to shoot rifles, absolutely not.’”
Hailey said this bizarre demand came up early in her tenure at the school and that she was asked how she felt about it.
“And I’m thinking that is not gonna happen if I’m here, that’s not acceptable, it’s not necessary, and what does that have to do with education,” she explained. “Teaching these kids to march, to be honest with you I kind of got like Hitler vibes around that or real bizarre things.”
Hailey also called the rapper “delusional.” “I don’t know what he’s thinking. I don’t know where he thinks children fit in this,” she told the outlet.
“We’re not talking about adults here, we’re talking about eight-year-olds, twelve-year-olds, 15-year-olds.”
Another teacher who is involved in the lawsuit — but remained unidentified —also confirmed to The U.S. Sun that Donda Academy was allegedly looking to hire people who would teach students military and tactical skills.
Hailey’s case has a trial date set for April of next year.