Kanye West's $15,000 a year Donda Academy closes 'effective immediately' amid antisemitism controversy
Donda Academy, the private school founded by Kanye West, abruptly closed as the rapper's antisemitism scandal grows. The Times of London obtained an email sent by principal, Jason Angell, to parents that said read "at the discretion of our founder, Donda Academy will close for the remainder of the 2022-2023 school year effective immediately."
"There is no school tomorrow [Thursday]," the email adds. The Times reports there are about 100 students at the school and 13 full-time teachers.
West opened the unaccredited Christian school, which is named after his late mother, outside of Los Angeles. The school serves pre-K to 12th grade students and reportedly costs $15,000 a year. Parents are required to sign non-disclosure agreements, which only leads to the secrecy surrounding Donda Academy.
"Join the mission to provide the youth with the passion, purpose and spiritual foundations they need to thrive in tomorrow's world," the school's website declares while promising a faith-based education.
It's unclear what will happen to the students enrolled at Donda Academy — but the four children West shares with ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, are not among them. He has publicly slammed Kardashian for not letting their kids — North, 9, Saint, 6, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 3 — attend.
West appeared to confirm the closure news in a now-deleted social post. The rapper was active on Instagram overnight, the same platform that restricted his content due to antisemitic messages. The "Runaway" singer doubled down on his hateful rhetoric in various interviews and will not walk back his statements. Adidas, Gap and Balenciaga are just a few of the companies that severed ties with in amid controversy.
Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel, one of the most powerful agents in Hollywood, wrote an op-ed last week and called on companies to stop partnering with West. The rapper seemed to respond on social media, writing he "lost 2 billion dollars in one day."
"The money is not who I am," West declared. "The people is who I am."
Donda Academy's basketball team was kicked out of a high-profile tournament this week as controversy surrounding West grows. According to the email sent by Angell, the school plans to reopen in September 2023.
"Our leadership team will be working diligently to assist all families during this transition, ensuring that every scholar has what they need to succeed in their next community in a prompt and gracious manner," he writes. "We are confident that our scholars will continue to advance as the creative innovators, courageous influencers and academic leaders of the next generation."
MORE: Adidas cuts ties with Kanye West after antisemitic remarks
