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.
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.
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.
