Kanye West allegedly berated, fired black employee over refusal to cut dreads: lawsuit

Kanye West is being accused of “frequently screaming” and firing a former employee, who is black, because of the color of his skin in a new lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Friday.

According to the complaint exclusively obtained by Page Six, Benjamin Deshon Provo — who was hired in August 2021 to work as a security guard in the rapper’s Christian school Donda Academy — claims he suffered “severe emotional distress” as a result of West’s alleged actions.

“Kanye and members of his management team subjected Provo and other black employees to less favorable treatment than their white counterparts,” the lawsuit alleges.

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“Specifically, Kanye frequently screamed at and berated black employees, while in contrast, he never so much as raised his tone of voice toward white staff.”

Provo alleges West, 46, also ridiculed him for wearing his hair in dreads — even though he claims the hairstyle was due in part to his Muslim faith.

“Kanye and members of his management team required Provo to choose between these critical aspects of his self-identity and financial stability,” the complaint states.

“Indeed, at the direction of Kanye, Provo was given the ultimatum, cut his hair, or be fired.” The ex-guard was then allegedly terminated for refusing to follow orders regarding his hair.

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Provo also claims in the suit that West’s alleged racist tendencies went so far as to have him ban books about historical black figures, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X.

“Further, Kanye regularly expressed negative beliefs associated with prominent black leaders that advocated for or sought to advance the black community,” the former Donda staffer further claims.

Provo’s allegations appear to be consistent with what teacher Cecilia Hailey said in her April 2023 lawsuit against West, in which she alleged the “Power” rapper banned black history books. An April 2025 trial date has been scheduled for that case.

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Aside from allegedly being discriminated against because of his race and faith, Provo alleges he was often forced into engaging in uncomfortable physical altercations as part of his job as a security guard.

He alleges that sometime in 2023, he was instructed to “prevent paparazzi from interacting with Kanye by any means necessary, including acts of violence.”

“Specifically, plaintiff was required to use physical force to remove paparazzi from the direct vicinity of Kanye and those in his company,” the complaint adds, including a photo from a recent spat that West was involved in with a TMZ reporter as evidence of his alleged orders.

“Kanye required that plaintiff snatch cameras from paparazzi, take their sim cards and provide them to Kanye,” the suit further alleges. “Notably, this was a practice regularly engaged in by Kanye, who has a documented history of assaulting paparazzi.”

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According to the complaint, Provo allegedly expressed his concerns to his manager, John Hicks, saying, “I don’t want to do this, I could go to jail.”

The supervisor allegedly responded dismissively, “We will bail you out,” resulting in the former security guard being forced to continue to confront paparazzi, placing “he and them in harm’s way,” per the suit.

Provo also reiterated claims in lawsuits filed by other former employees, including allegations that Donda Academy’s first school grounds were “unsafe” due to lack of ventilation, sufficient fire hydrants and other health and safety hazards.

The suit that initially made those claims, filed by Isaiah Meadows in July 2023, appears to be ongoing, as West reportedly filed a motion to dismiss the case.

Provo’s attorneys conclude that their client allegedly found himself at the “epicenter of a campaign of discrimination, harassment and retaliation as a result of being an unapologetically black man, and a follower of the Muslim faith” while working for West.

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Provo’s lawsuit follows another bombshell lawsuit recently filed by former Yeezy employee Trevor Phillips.

The ex-staffer alleged in that complaint, also filed this month, that West proudly touted “antisemitic” remarks around schoolchildren, and once threatened to shave two kids’ heads and lock them in cages.

Phillips also claimed his former boss — who is set to launch his own adult entertainment website — flaunted naked pictures of a female friend in front of colleagues and once simulated masturbation in his presence.

Multiple sources close to West cast doubt on Phillips’ allegations, pointing out to Page Six exclusively after the suit was filed that the former Yeezy worker’s daughter is still part of the Donda choir.

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“It bothers me, honestly, because Ye is a generous guy,” an insider said in response to Phillips’ suit.

“One thing that everyone knows is that the kids, the school and everything in regards to Donda is [West’s] life, his source of light.” Donda Academy first opened in 2022 and is named after the rapper’s late mother.

West has not issued a statement on the recent claims levied against him, and his reps did not immediately return Page Six’s request for comment on Provo’s lawsuit.