Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, is facing a potential $23 million damages claim from a former Donda Academy security employee who alleges that he was subjected to racial and religious discrimination while working for the school.

The former employee, Benjamin Provo, filed his lawsuit in 2024 against West, Yeezy LLC and Donda Academy. In newly filed court documents, Provo has outlined damages that he says could total roughly $23 million if he prevails at trial. The figure is a demand from the plaintiff, not money that a court has ordered West to pay. 

At the center of the case is Provo’s allegation that he was pressured to cut his dreadlocks while working at Donda Academy in 2022. Provo, who is Black and Muslim, says he wore his dreadlocks in connection with his religious beliefs and cultural identity. He alleges that after refusing to cut his hair, he was fired. 

West has denied that Provo was fired because of his dreadlocks. His attorneys have also disputed the nature of Provo’s employment, arguing that he was employed by a third-party staffing company rather than directly by West or Donda Academy. 

Provo’s allegations extend beyond the dispute over his hairstyle. He claims that Black employees were treated less favorably than white employees and that West frequently yelled at Black workers while treating white employees differently.

He also alleges that books by prominent Black figures, including Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X, were removed from Donda Academy. Those claims have not been established as facts in court. 

The case has also brought testimony from Milo Yiannopoulos, West’s former chief of staff. According to court filings cited by TMZ, Yiannopoulos described West’s workplace as one where employees had to accept his provocative comments about religion and said people who were particularly sensitive to racially charged remarks would have difficulty working there. 

West’s legal team has denied the discrimination allegations. The defense has also challenged evidence that Provo’s attorneys want presented at trial, including some of West’s past social-media statements.

The lawsuit is now moving toward trial, with the case scheduled for October 12, 2026, in Los Angeles County Superior Court. 

The approximately $23 million figure therefore represents what Provo is seeking or believes he could recover not an award that has already been granted. The court will ultimately determine whether the allegations are proven and what damages, if any, may be owed.