Former Donda Academy Teacher Says Kids Are Not Getting What They Need

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A former teacher at Donda Academy says that students are being deprived of a proper education.

Former Donda Academy teacher Cecilia Hailey says that students at the school are being deprived of what they need for the education they deserve. Speaking with TMZ for a new interview, Hailey warned parents that kids at the school are severely behind. She also complained about a lack of chairs, locked front doors, no lesson plans, and the only lunch option being sushi.

"That they need to be aware that their children are behind," Hailey said when asked what she'd tell parents. "And that they need to consider that it's going to be very hard for them to be able to transfer their kids out of that school next year or later because there are no grades, which I think they know of, and they can't get transcripts and they're not getting what they need. They absolutely are not getting what they need. The kids are being suppressed because of all the constant changes that go on at the school."

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The interview with TMZ comes after Hailey, along with fifth-grade teacher Chekarey Byers, filed a lawsuit against the school. They claim they were fired from Donda Academy without a reason given to them, violating the state’s labor code. They also say they complained about the conditions at the school before being let go. The two also say principal Moira Love labeled them "aggressive."

“I’m extremely sad about all of this," Byers said during a news release. "It was such a huge honor and privilege to work at Donda Academy for Kanye West. I’m a huge Kanye fan. His first album was the first I ever purchased. I still enjoy his music, and I’ll never deny his talent, but while his vision for the school sounds great on paper, it’s just pure chaos and mutiny. It’s like a mental hospital being run by the patients.”

Cecilia Hailey On The State Of Donda Academy

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About The Author
Cole Blake is currently an Editor at HotNewHipHop based out of Brooklyn, New York. He began working at the site as an intern back in 2018 while studying journalism at St. John’s University. In the time since, he’s graduated with a bachelor's degree and written extensively about a wide range of topics including pop culture, film & television, politics, video games, sports, and much more. He’s also covered music festivals such as Gov. Ball and Rolling Loud. You can find him publishing work for HNHH from Monday to Wednesday or on weekends. On the sports front, Cole’s a passionate NBA and NFL fan with his favorite teams being the Indianapolis Colts and Los Angeles Lakers. He also roots for the Yankees whenever he finds himself at Yankee Stadium or the Red Storm when in the company of other SJU alumni. His favorite hip-hop artists are billy woods, Earl Sweatshirt, Cam’ron, MIKE, and Mach-Hommy.