The sound of walkie-talkies, keys clanking, and ‘Let me see your pass.’ These are the sounds of security guards at WCCHS wandering the halls, ensuring order and safety. Tasked with keeping the school secure, they play a key role in maintaining a safe environment for students and staff. Yet, while they are a constant presence in the building, their voices remain unheard—literally. WCCHS security guards are not permitted to interview with the Chronicle or discuss their experiences with students.

Following several ownership changes, David Clayton became Owner, President, and CEO in 1998, leading Andy Frain Services to become a nationally recognized leader in the security industry – and the provider of security staff for West Chicago Community High School, among other clients. Andy Frain’s corporate office is based in Aurora, IL but there are numerous locations throughout the world. According to their website, “We take great pride in being a good corporate citizen; recruiting employees from the communities we serve, while making charitable contributions to those communities as well.”

However, despite their widespread presence in schools, Andy Frain employees follow strict media policies.

“When I first started working here, I thought that Andy Frain was an individual person, based off of the emails that I kept getting that would refer to Andy Frain. And then, we didn’t have quite as many security guards, [or so] it felt like. And so I kept seeing this one guard and I thought his name was Andy Frain – until I realized it was a company,” English teacher Kelsey Wirkus said.

Actually, little is known about Andy Frain because the security staff is instructed not to interview with the press.

“Due to legal reasons, we don’t do interviews. Interviews are handled by upper management and the company’s legal team,” a spokesperson for Andy Frain said.

WCCHS administration was unaware that security guards are instructed not to speak with students or staff. Veronica Jimenez Winton, Director of the Dean’s Office and Director of Bilingual Services, oversees security at the school but had never been informed of this policy.

“I don’t know,” Jimenez Winton said when asked why security guards cannot be interviewed. “It might be the company that they work for, Andy Frain. That might be their [policy].”

However, she speculated that the company and school’s expectations may both play a role.

“They don’t want to misspeak necessarily, because their company’s policies or codes of conduct are one thing, and then when they come here, you know, I also have an expectation, so they also have to abide by that,” Jimenez Winton said.

Andy Frain enforces strict media policies to ensure a consistent corporate image.

“The concern is that my personal beliefs may not correspond with Andy Frain’s vision,” the spokesperson from Andy Frain said.

Despite multiple attempts, this reporter was unable to obtain even a photo of the security guards’ uniforms. Requests to photograph a uniform—without any identifying details—were also denied, further reinforcing the company’s strict media policies.

But how does this silence impact student perception?

Jimenez Winton believes that if security guards were allowed to share their perspectives, it could change how students see them.

“I do think students would see Andy Frain in a different way if they had the opportunity to really hear from some of the guards specifically—you know, why they work here or what they feel their role is here,” she said.

Beyond perception, security guards face another challenge: unlike teachers and administrators, they are not trained specifically to work with students.

“Their training is specific to being security,” Jimenez Winton said. “If a kid yells in my face, I can stay calm, because I know this child is obviously going through something or was triggered. But they just don’t necessarily have that experience all the time, and they’re human.”

However, she has worked to ensure that the security team aligns with the school’s values.

“I don’t want the kids to feel like they’re coming into jail and like everyone’s watching them and thinks the worst of them. I want you guys to come in and feel like this is my home, people know me here, I’m safe here,” she said.

Because of this, security guards at WCCHS are chosen carefully. Some of the longest-serving guards, including Dennis, Vanessa Vettel, Veronica, and Angel, have remained at the school because of their ability to handle heightened situations.

“Some of our security guards who have been here for many years, it’s because I see that they have that temperament—that they can stay calm in a heightened situation, that they can demand respect without being disrespectful,” Jimenez Winton said.

While security guards remain a visible presence in the halls of WCCHS, their voices remain largely unheard. With policies preventing them from speaking publicly, students are left to wonder: what would security guards say if given the chance?