Kanye West faces new lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and harassment

Benjamin Deshon Provo, a former security guard for Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, has filed a lawsuit alleging racial discrimination and mistreatment of Black employees by the artiste. 

Provo, who was employed at Kanye's Donda Academy and a Yeezy brand warehouse, claims Kanye "frequently screamed at and berated Black employees" and was unfairly dismissed for refusing to cut his dreadlocks, citing religious reasons as a Muslim.

Filed on Friday (April 26) in Los Angeles, the lawsuit details Provo's experiences working for Kanye from August 2021. He alleges that Black employees were treated less favourably than their non-Black counterparts and were paid less without justification. 

After raising concerns about wage disparities, Provo says he experienced a reduction in his paycheck, unlike his non-Black colleagues. He was also tasked with controversial activities such as snatching cameras from paparazzi and was instructed to discard books by Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X, and other Black leaders.

The situation escalated in April 2023 when Kanye demanded that Provo and others shave their heads. Provo refused to comply, leading to increased pressure and eventual termination. "Kanye said, 'Tell the one with the dreads to shave his head or he is fired,'" is the message Provo claims he received through his manager, John Hicks.

Provo's lawsuit seeks damages for discrimination, retaliation, and creating a hostile work environment, among other claims. He is also seeking a legal injunction to prevent Kanye from operating any school for minors in California.

This legal action follows another recent lawsuit against Kanye by former employee Trevor Phillips, who accuses the artiste of expressing antisemitic and anti-LGBTQ+ sentiments and maintaining a hostile work environment.

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