Ye Reaches Tentative Settlement In Donda Guard’s Discrimination Suit

Ye has reached a tentative settlement with Benjamin Deshon Provo, the former Donda Academy security guard who sued him over alleged discrimination.

MyNewsLA reports that Provo’s lawyers notified Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Brock T. Hammond on November 6. The agreement is “conditional,” with a dismissal request expected by December 21. Terms were not disclosed.

The case drew renewed attention in September when Provo sought roughly $23 million in damages. That figure was his demand, not a court award or the value of this agreement. The dispute centered on his treatment at the school and whether Ye’s organization was responsible for his employment.

Provo filed suit in April 2024 against the rapper, Yeezy and Donda Academy. He alleged that he lost his job after refusing to cut locs he wore as part of his Muslim faith. His complaint also accused Ye of treating Black employees worse than white staff. He also alleged that books about prominent Black figures were removed from the school, extending the complaint beyond the dispute over his own hairstyle and job.

Ye disputed that account. Before the deal, his attorneys argued that Best Way Protection employed and fired Provo for repeatedly leaving his post, without Ye’s involvement.

“Without any foundation, plaintiff speculates that his separation and blocked return were attributable to a demand that he shave his dreadlocks,” his lawyers wrote, according to the report.

The fight had spread beyond the circumstances of Provo’s firing. In August, Ye’s legal team sought to exclude antisemitic and Nazi-related social media posts from the case. His attorneys challenged their relevance and authenticity, arguing that some came from impersonators or parody accounts and others fell outside the period when Provo worked there.

Milo Yiannopoulos, a former senior member of Ye’s organization, also became part of the litigation through deposition testimony. By September, Ye’s attorneys were seeking to move the trial from October to May 2027. They cited preparation and discovery disputes, planned Russian concerts and the difficulty of securing Yiannopoulos after his deportation to the United Kingdom.

Provo’s lawyers expect to submit the dismissal request by December 21, according to the settlement notice described in the report.