We had almost given up on this piece when we were contacted by a woman claiming to be a former teacher at the Bellegrove school during the period in question. She was ready to finally share her story.
We met her at her home, a well kept house in an upper-middle class suburb. We were greeted by an well-dressed, late-middle aged woman. She invited us in and served us tea during the interview. Still very attractive, she spoke in a soft voice with a slight Eastern European accent. She agreed to speak with us on condition of anonymity. We will refer to her as S. Portions of our interview with her follow:
Maximum: “Hello, I’m Harry Anders of Maximum Magazine and we’re doing a story on Englewood Academy and it’s sister institution, Bellegrove. I understand that you were at Bellegrove?”
S: “Yes, I was a teacher at Bellegrove from 1977 until 1982 when I married my husband. I had to quit as at that time as Bellegrove had a strict policy about their teachers remaining unmarried. I was ready to anyway, but I was afraid to leave.”
Max: “Why were you afraid to leave?”
S: “Well, I should start at the beginning I guess. Bellegrove recruited me. I am from Poland and as a young woman, a university student, I was involved in anti-government protests and had to flee the country. I applied for asylum to the United States but my case was pending and I was worried about being deported. Bellegrove contacted me and offered me a teaching position which would secure my status as a resident alien. I took it.”
Max: “How old were you at this time?”
S: “I was twenty-two years old when I started at Bellegrove. That was thirty years ago.”
Max: “Did you know what would be involved up front?”
S: “Yes. I remember the interview quite clearly. It was in the Headmistress’ office. A very dark room with lots of wood paneling and antique furniture. We had tea, served Western style. It was summer, very warm, I had on a sundress. The Headmistress told me that she liked my dress and that I was beautiful. She was, what’s the word? Butch. Very butch. Obviously lesbijka, you know? She said the school was unconventional and that some of the lessons around biology were very hands-on and that things would be ‘expected’ of me.”
Max: "Did that frighten you?”
S: Shrugging, "A little maybe? I was not a virgin, I had to do...things to get away from Poland, you know? So sex was no longer frightenting like the first time, but I didn’t know how much there would be. By the time I learned that I was in too deep. I thought I would just have to sleep with the Headmistress for my job. My immigration status depended on my keeping the job. Most of us girls were like that. Bellewood recruited at risk women.”
