Kanye West looking to relaunch Donda Academy in a Californian church
(Credits: Alamy)

News

Kanye West looking to relaunch Donda Academy in a Californian church

It has been reported that Kanye West is in talks to re-establish his private school, the Donda Academy. The rapper met with a pastor to discuss the potential of the academy being run from a Californian church.

West officially launched Donda Academy earlier this year, with plans for the exclusive Christian school initially laid out in October 2021. As read on the Donda Academy site, the institution aims to offer an education programme of “full school worship”, “core classes of language arts, math and science”, and “enrichment courses including World Language, Visual Art, Film, Choir and Parkour”.

The school was originally set up without formal accreditation in Simi Valley, California but was shut down after a brief spell on October 27th, following West’s antisemitic outbursts on social media and his infamous “White Lives Matter” stunt at Paris Fashion Week

Though the school ostensibly shut down, West never deemed the academy officially closed. Just one day after reports of the school’s closure, emails were sent to the parents of students asserting that the school was still open.

It has now emerged that West is hoping to move the operation to Cornerstone Christian Church in Northridge (in Los Angeles’ San Fernando Valley—30 miles from the school’s original location). TMZ reported that West has held a met with pastor Ronald Nagin three times over the past month. 

West has reportedly requested to rent out a part of the church’s property. Nagin told TMZ that West likes the fact it offers a bigger space with more classrooms and a sanctuary”. It appears a deal could be signed imminently with the church’s lawyers currently drafting a lease agreement for the controversial rapper.

While Nagin seems unaffected by West’s recent antics, it has been reported that many of the teachers affiliated with the Donda Academy have sought to distance themselves from the establishment in recent weeks.