Ye, the artist formerly known as Kanye West, has come under fire from a former security guard for allegedly treating Black employees “less favourable than their White counterparts.”
In a recent complaint, Benjamin Deshon Provo, the security guard, claimed that 46-year-old West “frequently screamed at and berated Black employees” and dismissed him for not cutting his dreadlocks.
Provo provided protection for West at Donda Academy, his private school, and at a warehouse that held his apparel from the Yeezy brand.
When the employee filed a complaint earlier this month, West was already handling another employee’s allegation of “severe discrimination, harassment” during his employment with him at the Donda Academy school and as part of his Yeezy brand. The most recent grievance against West is this one.
The most current lawsuit was filed in Los Angeles on Friday, April 26, and states that Provo attended Donda Academy for six months after beginning employment as a rapper for Vultures in August of 2021.
He was “assigned additional job duties as a result of a lack of staffing” at the new school location when it moved. He also guarded West’s Sunday Service activities and let Yeezy utilize his warehouse.
The lawsuit also claims that West made the demand that “anyone associated with Donda dispose of books related to Malcolm X, Martin Luther King, Jr., and other prominent figures in the Black community.” By seizing cameras, the complainant alleges he was told to put himself and the paparazzi “in harm’s way”.
Provo allegedly saw “a stark difference in the way Kanye treated Plaintiff and other Black employees” in contrast to their “non-Black counterparts,” according to the lawsuit. It also claims that West was “always abrupt, abrasive, and demeaning of Plaintiff and his Black counterparts,” and that he was paid less than non-Black employees “for no discernible reason.”
After protesting about the pay gap, Provo reportedly got the following answer from direct boss John Hicks: “Don’t bring up money to Ye.” He dislikes discussing finances.
Despite the fact that Provo wore his hair in dreadlocks “as an exercise of his Muslim faith,” West “unjustifiably and unreasonably began demanding that Plaintiff and others shave their heads,” according to the complaint filed in April 2023.
I am a dedicated student currently in my seventh semester, pursuing a degree in International Relations. Alongside my academic pursuits, I am actively engaged in the professional field as a content writer at the Rangeinn website.