Some US schools cancel class pictures after online claims surrounding Epstein
MALAKOFF, Texas — Some school districts in the United States have abandoned plans for class photos after numerous social media posts linked a billionaire with ties to Jeffrey Epstein to photography giant Lifetouch, which on Friday called the claims “completely false.”
The disruption to school photography plans in Texas and elsewhere began after online publications linked Lifetouch, which photographs millions of students each year, to investment fund manager Apollo Global Management. Apollo’s former CEO is billionaire investor Leon Black, who met regularly with Epstein and was advised by Epstein on financial matters.
Black led the company in 2019, when funds managed by Apollo purchased Lifetouch’s parent company, Shutterfly. The $2.7 billion deal was reached in September 2019 — a month after Epstein committed suicide behind bars while awaiting trial on allegations by federal prosecutors that he sexually abused and trafficked dozens of girls.
Lifetouch and Apollo both noted that timeline in statements Friday, two days after Lifetouch CEO Ken Murphy said in an Instagram post that neither Black nor any of Apollo’s directors or investors ever had access to Lifetouch’s photos.
“No Lifetouch executive ever had any relationship or contact with Epstein and we never shared images of students with any third parties, including Apollo,” Lifetouch said in its statement Friday. “Apollo and its funds also have no role in the day-to-day operations of Lifetouch and do not have access to student images.”
The canceled school photos are another ripple effect on the release of millions of files from the Epstein investigation, including documents showing Epstein’s regular contact with prominent CEOs, journalists, scientists and politicians long after a 2008 conviction for sex crimes.
In the small Texas town of Malakoff, the local school district canceled a student photo day after several parents told the district they were not comfortable using Lifetouch to photograph their children, spokeswoman Katherine Smith said in an emailed statement Friday. Several other schools and districts in Texas have also canceled or changed their plans, as well as a charter school in Arizona, according to announcements posted on Facebook by the schools.
“We have decided that our students and families would be best served by keeping all of our photos in-house for the remainder of this year, and we are reviewing all of our options for the 2026-2027 school year,” Smith said.
Among the parents concerned about Lifetouch was MaKallie Gann, whose children attend schools in Howe, about 60 miles north of Dallas. She said she was concerned about the amount of information Lifetouch collects about students.
“Every time you order the photos, they have their name on them. There’s the age, of course. There’s their grade, their teacher, the school they’re in,” she said.
No evidence that Epstein or anyone in his orbit saw Lifetouch photos has emerged from news agencies’ review of thousands of documents released this month by the U.S. Justice Department, although there are at least 1.7 million records.
The review shows that Black’s name appeared 8,200 times, although that figure likely includes duplicate records. Black resigned as CEO of Apollo in March 2021, saying he wanted to focus on his family, his health and “many other interests.”
This was two months after a committee of the company’s board of directors issued a report concluding that Epstein had personally advised Black on estate planning, tax matters, charitable giving and management of his “family office” but had provided no services to Apollo and had not invested in any Apollo funds.
The report also says the review – requested by Black – found “no evidence” that he was involved in Epstein’s alleged criminal activities “in any way” or “at any time”. ___
Hanna reported from Topeka, Kansas. Associated Press writer Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota, also contributed.
