DO NOT DO WORK/STUDY
I am a female woodworker, I won a $10k grant to apprenticeship under a master woodworker in Norway. I was unbelievably excited when I found out an Italian female woodworker from Norway, who also specialized in Viking Age woodworking would be teaching a class. I applied for a work/study position, and was accepted. Before arriving, I was emailing Alex Blust, who informed me that the grocery store was a half a mile walk, one way. I have a disability, post traumatic stress disorder and didn’t want the stress of walking in an unfamiliar place and I knew the grocery store would have ridiculous prices, given that it’s a small town. I asked if I could mail packages of food. I was given two addresses, I found out after I arrived, no matter what, packages could not be delivered. And the post offices informed me of this, Alex Blust said NOTHING. When I contacted her about the issue, I was told I could be given a wagon and “good luck walking”. The walk was unbelievably dangerous because snow and ice would melt during the day then freeze at night. And the wind was horrific. I fell twice, and bloodied my knuckles falling, which I didn’t realize until I arrived at the Post office. Jay DeCoux, who lived at the boarding house I was staying at, and his girlfriend, waited to watch me fall on the ice. And then when I returned to the boarding house from picking up my food, Jay DeCoux peeled out of the driveway in his car.
The boarding house I stayed at, was also disgusting. And I had to clean my room, before I felt comfortable. I was unable to use the kitchen, because it looked like it hadn’t been properly cleaned in over a year. They also had issues with people stealing food.
Furthermore, when I arrived, Alex Blust, wanted me to begin working immediately. My response was to ask her if she had actually read my application which stated that I have a disability. And I told her I needed time to acclimate to the new environment before I began work, because with my disability, if I become too stressed out, I will stop eating and sleeping entirely. Alex Blust, disregarded this, and sent another work/study participant to attempt to coerce me to work. Later, I sat down with Liv & Alex Blust, where we went over what worked best for a working environment. I explained that I worked best alone, doing deep cleaning or organizing, and that I am capable of cleaning on a professional level. We also came to an agreement, that any hours of work that did not cover the class, I would be billed for, which I agreed. Alex Blust brought me to the “Boat House”, where a class had been led tanning and preparing sheep skin. Unfortunately, the instructor failed to properly prepare the skin, and all of the skins were decayed and rotten. There was blood on the walls, chunks of flesh, and hair, all over the building. And the building itself, appeared as if it hadn’t been properly cleaned in over a year. An instructor stopped in while I was cleaning and I asked her why this building was in this state. She stated that North House uses work/study participants like slaves, and refused to do their jobs. The work/study participants also did not have the skills required to clean effectively. I cleaned for 4 hours, then had to leave so an instructor could set up in the room. To clean this room properly would of taken me days. Alex Blust messaged me on the evening stating how she had to complete the job, and was passive aggressive towards me.
The following day I began receiving threats from an anonymous phone number, from an unknown person. I put my phone on “do not disturb”. That evening I took my sleeping meds, and headphones on, to be awoken by Liv and Jay DeCoux, forcing themselves into my locked room. After I had a confrontation with Liv, I mentioned that an anonymous number had began threatening me. She admitted to being the anonymous person threatening me. Which I responded to how odd that type of behavior was. She then stated that North House could not accommodate my disability and that I had to leave immediately or they would call the sheriff. I refused because I had a legal right because I was working for the place I was staying at, and I was not disturbing anyone. I was illegally detained for trespassing. I have never been arrested before, and it was an extremely traumatizing experience.
