Why Jeffrey Epstein files have parents upset about school picture day

Grace Tucker

• Social media posts claimed school photography company Lifetouch is named in the Jeffrey Epstein files.
• The rumors stem from Lifetouch's parent company being owned by a private equity firm once led by Leon Black, who is named in the files.
• The speculation alone has caused some districts in Cincinnati to issue statements to upset parents.

Unease around the businesses implicated in the U.S. Department of Justice's files on Jeffrey Epstein, the late money manager and accused child sex trafficker, have trickled down to some school districts in Greater Cincinnati.

Viral social media posts alleged that a photography company called Lifetouch, used by several districts like Cincinnati Public Schools, Forest Hills and Lakota Local Schools, appears in the Epstein files. But the company said the claims are entirely false.

The speculation alone caused districts across the country to cancel photo days. It also motivated the Kentucky Educational Development Corp. to suspend its contract with the photography service on Feb. 17, pending a "thorough review and deeper investigation" behind the Epstein file claims. But on Feb. 23, the Kentucky group reinstated its Lifetouch contract after determining student safety was not at risk.

Some districts in the region are issuing instructions for parents on how to opt out of services provided by the giant company that photographs over 15 million students every fall. Others have yet to formally respond.

Does Lifetouch appear in the Epstein Files?

No mention of Lifetouch photos has emerged from news organizations’ review of thousands of documents released this month by the U.S. Department of Justice, though there are at least 1.7 million records, the Associated Press reported.

The rumors stem from the connection between Lifetouch's parent company, Shutterfly, and billionaire Leon Black, who is named in the Epstein files. Black is the former CEO of Shutterfly's owner, private equity firm Apollo Global Management.

Apollo Global Management acquired Shutterfly in September 2019, one month after Epstein died by suicide awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges. In 2021, Black stepped down as Apollo’s CEO.

"Lifetouch is not named in the Epstein files. The documents contain no allegations that Lifetouch itself was involved in, or that student photos were used in, any illicit activities," Lifetouch said in a statement on its website and posted on social media Feb. 10.

The company follows all applicable federal, state and local data privacy regulations, the statement continued.

"In fact, Lifetouch was the first school photography company to sign a voluntary and enforceable privacy pledge – reaffirming our deep commitment to protecting school communities," it stated.

Greater Cincinnati districts respond to Lifetouch concerns

Board of education records show several schools in Greater Cincinnati have contracts with Lifetouch, prompting some districts like West Clermont and Boone County Schools in Northern Kentucky to issue statements to parents who were upset.

In a statement sent to families on Feb. 20, West Clermont Superintendent David Fultz said that the district has received questions about Lifetouch, with which West Clermont has a binding contract.

"To date, West Clermont School District has not received information that any of its student photos have been compromised, distributed to any third parties, or otherwise used improperly," Fultz said in the email statement. "As such, there currently is no legal cause to terminate this contract. Nonetheless, we are continuing to monitor this matter and will assess our options if/when facts arise that warrant doing so."

Boone County Schools Superintendent Jeff Hauswald also sent a statement saying Lifetouch has signed the district's privacy agreement, meeting the requirements to be an official district vendor.

"Additionally, we have not found evidence that would legally permit us to void existing contracts. As a reminder, the selection of school photography vendors remains a school-based decision by site-based decision-making councils and is not selected at the district level," Hauswald's statement read.

Kenton County Schools, the second-largest district in Northern Kentucky, did not respond to The Enquirer's inquiry in time for publication.

Records at Cincinnati Public Schools show Parker Woods Montessori School and the School for Creative and Performing Arts had Lifetouch contracts for the 2024-25 school year. The district did not clarify whether it released information to families amid the recent rumors.

"Cincinnati Public Schools is monitoring the concerns raised about Lifetouch," the district said in a statement to The Enquirer. "We understand parents' concerns and are recommending that schools ensure parents' permission for students to participate in school photos."

Forest Hills School District officials said the district hasn't issued a district-wide statement but, rather, is providing information to families who reach out about Lifetouch. The district's Anderson High School and Nagel Middle School are currently in two-year contracts with the photography service.

All families at those two schools have been made aware of the contracts in place with the company, Forest Hills' communications director Josh Bazan said.

"While the topic has received local and national news coverage, our schools have only received a small number of questions," Bazan said.

Lakota Local Schools did not indicate whether it has released a district-wide statement regarding its Lifetouch contracts, in which it's in the final year of a three-year agreement

"We take all parent concerns seriously. The feedback we've received is being taken into consideration as we review the matter and evaluate next steps," Lakota's director of community relations Betsy Fuller said, adding that parents can opt their kids out of being photographed in back-to-school forms or anytime during the year.

Other districts say they used Lifetouch years ago but have since switched to local photography providers.

Oak Hills Local Schools previously had Lifetouch listed as one of its business partners on its community page, but that list has since been updated after not being revised for quite some time, the district's communications director Chris Gramke said.

All nine schools in the district have been using locally owned Ritchie Photography for the past several years, Gramke said.