When voters hear the name D20 candidate Susan Payne, they’re likely to recognize her most celebrated credential: founder of the Safe2Tell program. For years, Safe2Tell has been praised as a model for anonymous reporting systems in schools. Payne has carried that reputation into her campaign, wrapping herself in the language of “safety,” “trust,” and “fairness.”
But voters should be asking harder questions. Because beneath the surface of the safety narrative lies a record of divisive policies, questionable priorities, and silence on some of the most pressing issues facing District 20 families today.
Safe2Tell: A Shield, Not a Record
On her campaign website, Payne introduces herself first and foremost as a “national school safety expert” and proudly touts her work with the White House and law enforcement. But does founding Safe2Tell automatically make her the right steward for public education?
That’s the question voters must grapple with.
Safe2Tell has its place, but it is far from flawless.
- How many times have administrators used it to justify not reporting or investigating?
- How many times has it been exploited to bully or harass students anonymously?
A look at recent usage data shows many reports involve vaping. Serious, yes, but hardly the existential threats Payne’s campaign rhetoric suggests.
Safe2Tell’s reputation has been burnished into gold, and Payne is trading heavily on it. Yet the leap from managing an anonymous tip line to governing a complex public school district is not a natural one. Safe2Tell may make for strong political branding, but it does not substitute for actual, responsible governance.
From Safety to Culture Wars
While Payne’s bio leans on safety, her board record already shows a different focus:
- Championing a policy to “affirm the biological differences between males and females” in athletics.
- Supporting a legal challenge that drags District 20 into the national fight over transgender student participation in sports.
This isn’t about “safety.” It’s the importation of culture war politics into our classrooms and gymnasiums for purely political gain. The Athletics and Activities Director at D20 has said directly that this is a non-issue. But make no mistake, it comes with a price tag. Legal challenges drain district resources that could otherwise be used to address overcrowding, teacher retention, or overcome the half a billion in deferred maintenance the district is carrying. And this is without mentioning that Ms. Payne voted to join a lawsuit even after the litigation team was unable to provide a concrete answer on how much it would eventually cost the district. She essentially signed a blank check over to activist lawyers.
What She’s Not Talking About
For all the talk of safety, Payne has been conspicuously silent about real safety risks in District 20.
Parents and staff have repeatedly raised concerns about the use of portable buildings as long-term classrooms, with some in disrepair and possibly unsafe. These “temporary” solutions have become semi-permanent, housing entire grade levels year-round. Yet not a word from Payne on this issue.
And what about accountability on the board itself? Fellow board member Derrick Wilburn has engaged in behavior that many parents consider unfit for public office, including attacks on district parents, inflammatory rhetoric, and a pending lawsuit. Payne’s campaign biography is silent on that, too.
What about the controversy surrounding her husband’s hiring as D20’s director of security?
Silence.
When leadership matters most, silence speaks volumes.
The Moms for Liberty Question
One more silence hangs heavy over Payne’s candidacy: her relationship with Moms for Liberty. The group has endorsed and boosted her, yet Payne avoids mentioning it on her official campaign page. Why? Likely because Moms for Liberty is a nationally recognized political organization that pushes censorship, fuels division, and undermines public education in the name of “parental rights.”
No amount of Safe2Tell goodwill can cover that endorsement.
The Bottom Line
D20 candidate Susan Payne is not simply a “respected community leader” running on safety credentials. She is a law enforcement veteran leveraging past “successes” to shield her current alignment with divisive, discriminatory, and expensive culture war politics.
District 20 families deserve leaders who will tackle pressing issues head-on, including unsafe portable classrooms, teacher retention, student achievement, transportation safety, and accountability at the board level. Instead, Payne offers a polished narrative built on past accolades, while avoiding the very questions that matter most today.
Voters must decide: Is Susan Payne’s reputation enough to outweigh the record she is building right now?