Rap singer Kanye West has been sued by a former African-American worker who claims he received racist treatment from Kim Kardashian’s ex-husband. Furthermore, he has assured the US authorities that after working for four years with Kanye he was fired for refusing to shave his dreadlocks.
As reported by People magazine, the plaintiff, named Benjamin Deshon Provo, has claimed to have worked for years as a member of Kanye West’s security staff. Currently, Benjamín was working as a security guard at Donda Academy, a Christian school that is in addition to the rapper’s multiple businesses.
The plaintiff alleges that he received racist treatment due to his skin color and has claimed to have suffered “severe emotional distress.” “Kanye and members of his management team subjected Provo and other black employees to less favorable treatment than their white counterparts,” are some of the accusations that have been included in the lawsuit.
In other points contained in the complaint, which was filed on April 26 in the city of Los Angeles, Benjamin states that Kanye “frequently yelled and reprimanded black employees, while, on the contrary, he never raised his voice toward the white staff.”
Additionally, the plaintiff alleges that West decided to pay them less “for no apparent reason.” “He was always brusque, abrasive and degrading to the plaintiff and other African Americans,” Benjamin’s accusations state.
However, and despite the mistreatment that Benjamín claims to have received from the rapper, it was one of Kanye’s unpredictable decisions that led to the former worker’s dismissal.
According to the complainant, Kanye made decisions that were too extravagant, leaving hardly any time to react. Overnight, West decided that all school workers had to shave their hair as a requirement of his job.
Benjamín refused, as he claims that his dreadlocks are his way of expressing the Muslim religion of which he is a practitioner. “In fact, under Kanye’s direction, Provo was given the ultimatum: cut his hair or be fired,” the lawsuit records. After not accepting the singer’s new condition, the former employee was immediately fired.
“In addition, Kanye regularly expressed negative beliefs associated with prominent black leaders who defended or sought to advance the black community,” such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm
For his part, Benjamín requests compensation for the alleged discrimination, also for retaliation, a hostile environment and finally for the multiple violations of the labor code. In this way, the plaintiff has added that he was also sometimes forced to carry out external tasks at his workplace due to lack of personnel.
