Kanye West has not given up on his efforts to shape the minds of the youth, including his own children, with his controversial tuition-backed school, Donda Academy. Instead, the unpredictable artist has revamped the institution amid an ongoing legal battle with former staff.
The unaccredited school that opened its doors in 2021 in Simi Valley, California, is now recognized as Donda Ray Academy, paying homage to both of his parents, Donda and Ray West.
The educational facility has also relocated to a warehouse in Chatsworth, the same city in which his kids attend school at the popular Sierra Canyon. He was “determined not to give up on the kids,” according to an insider who spoke with The US Sun about the rebranding effort.
“We listen, we train, we nurture. Executing greatness, excellence, and performance on a high level,” wrote choreographer Tianne King, who is a new hire, on a social media post. Additional staff onboarded include former collegiate basketball player Japhet McNeil and musician Jason White.
The school has also strayed away from its uniform of Yeezy gear and instead opted for all black attire. News of the many changes at the academy came days after Kanye, for the third time, publicly railed against the school his ex-wife Kim Kardashian has their children enrolled in.
In a since-deleted Instagram post from Feb. 29, West demanded, “Kim take my kids out of Sierra Canyon now its a fake school for celebrities that are used by ‘the system.’”
In the caption, he continued airing his grievance, writing, “At this point everybody knows what ‘the system’ is code for. I was removed from my dad by the system and the system removed me from children. When they system drafts athletes they voice working with those who have their father in their life because they are harder to manipulate. My two oldest know they daddy.”
New Kanye IG post with his username officially changed to “Ye”
— Ye Fandom (@YeFandom) February 29, 2024
He’s claiming that Sierra Canyon is a fake school 🤔 pic.twitter.com/Ygn7wIMA9I
At the apex of feud with his ex in 2022, the rapper used social media to declare, “My kids going to Donda They not going to Sierra Canyon.” In the tirade that roped in his then-mother-in-law, Kris Jenner, he shared screenshots of messages between him and Kardashian. He wrote things like, “Y’all don’t have so so over my black children and where they go to school They will not do playboy and sex tapes.”
Along with, “Hollywood is a giant brothel Pornography destroyed my family I deal with the addiction Instagram promotes it Not gonna let it happen to Northy and Chicago.” His latest project, “Vultures 1,” also includes a reference to the university-prepatory school. He raps, “Got my kids in a fake school we ain’t” on “Carnival.”
Along with 10-year-old North, the famous exes also share son Saint, 8, daughter Chicago, 6, and youngest son, Psalm, 4. Kanye and the SKIMS founder divorced in November 2022 after seven years of marriage. Despite his claims of not being allowed to see their kids, he shares joint physical and legal custody with “equal access” to them.
Kanye West appears to be speaking on Kris Jenner on Instagram pic.twitter.com/RYBTnKC1nE
— philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) September 1, 2022
Celebrities such as Sean “Diddy” Combs and LeBron James have footed tuition tabs ranging between $20,000 and $40,000 for their children at the private Sierra Canyon School. Combs’ twin daughters, Jessie and D’Lila, 17, are current students alongside James’ second son, Bryce, 16. Additionally, Jame’s eldest child, Bronny, is an alum. West’s former sisters-in-law, Kylie and Kendall, both graduated from the school.
Last year, Donda Academy came under fire when two former teachers filed a lawsuit against the Grammy Award winner. They described the school as “dystopian institution,” lacking safety, failing to meet nutritional guidelines, and other violations that impeded upon the students’ ability to learn.
A legal rep responded to the suit, stating that rapper did contribute to how the school is operated and that academy was being falsely portrayed in bad light.
