Rather than invest in students and teachers, Portland Public Schools management hires "elite" ex-military-run security firm

Current Portland Public Schools (PPS) leaders have a track record of spending on pro-privatization consultants and union-busting law firms, rather than funding classrooms. This is especially evident during the ongoing teacher strike for fully funded schools. To further cement its anti-teacher reputation, PPS management made the decision to hire a private security firm, Black Wolf Protection Group, just in time for the retaliatory firing of a teacher critical of district leadership, as the Portland Association of Teachers (PAT) began preparing for its November strike, and after several months of pressure on District leadership to deal with PPS's systemic sexual harassment, culture of silence and workplace retaliation.

Black Wolf is a local "elite-tier private security provider," run by two co-founders. One is an ex-US Air Force Intelligence cryptologic linguist, and the other is a former US Embassy Defense Attaché with experience in the Marines as a security convoy, quick reaction force (QRF) team leader in anti-piracy operations off the African Coast, and a communications specialist in Iraq and Afghanistan. As previously reported on this blog, the current PPS Senior Director of Communications, Freddie A. Mack, who came directly to the district from The Pentagon also has communications leadership experience from Iraq, where he was in charge of conceptualizing and rebranding US-led Operation New Dawn as Director of Public Affairs and Strategic Communications at the US Embassy in Baghdad.

Black Wolf Protection Group, which hires largely military veterans and former law enforcement officers, was contracted by PPS on September 18, 2023, three days after PAT officially declared an impasse following 219 days of bargaining with PPS, and a day ahead of the meeting to dismiss veteran educator Bryan Chu known for speaking up against racism, white supremacy, and corruption in the district. Chu, a beloved middle school Social Studies teacher, was put on administrative leave for a litany of unsubstantiated allegations in April 2022. This inspired public outrage as well as student protests. 

Chu's termination vote during the September 19th, 2023 PPS School Board meeting was the first time Black Wolf's presence on PPS premises was recorded. In fact, Nathan Adams, one of the company's co-founders, could be seen seated in the audience in plain clothes that evening (follow red arrow in the screenshot from KGW's newscast). One PPS educator uncovered Nathan Adams' role as private security in October, posting about Adams' firm and presence in the PPS central office building on his Facebook page. 

A Freedom of Information Act request revealed that PPS contracted Black Wolf Protection Group's services starting September 18, 2023 through June 30, 2024 with agents being paid $84 per hour, an hourly rate about a third higher than that of a teacher at the top of PPS' pay scale. A part of the contract between PPS and Black Wolf has, however, been redacted, with several of the terms and conditions of the Security Services Agreement blacked out. It is clear that Black Wolf has been tasked with conducting some type of risk assessment, for each of which the company will be paid $670. Perhaps one of the assessments conducted by Black Wolf resulted in PPS Board member Andrew Scott feeling threatened by teachers marching  through the building where he was attending a meeting? Perhaps the same assessment resulted in PPS management threatening to charge the teachers union with terrorism for exercising their protected right to strike?

Black Wolf boasts on their page that their firearms training "is more intensive than current FBI standards." Their website shows the size of a standard training target side by side with a much smaller Black Wolf training target. Their Instagram account shows a photo of their agents undergoing firearms training (see image above). 

Why would an institution charged with providing education and food to children hire security agents with such intensive weapons training, paid more than the most experienced teachers in PPS? 

PPS management continues to claim a lack of money to pay for cost-of-living salary adjustments and class size caps meant to ease teachers' untenable workload. Yet, the District has the funds to hire private security? 

It is evident that District management is fortifying its top-down control using security apparatus tactics. But it is also clear from the continuing PAT strike that educators see right through these tactics and will not be intimidated away from advocating for their students and professions.