Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Schools Cancel Picture Days After Viral Claims Tie Lifetouch to Epstein Files

The DOJ release renewed scrutiny of Apollo cofounder Leon Black, with news reviews finding no evidence that Lifetouch or student images are implicated.

Overview

  • Districts in Texas and Arizona, including Malakoff ISD and Prescott Valley Charter School, halted or moved picture days and opened reviews after parent complaints spread on social media.
  • Lifetouch says it is not named in the DOJ documents and states it has never shared student photos with third parties or granted Apollo-affiliated personnel access to images.
  • The ownership link runs through Shutterfly, which bought Lifetouch in 2018 and was acquired by funds managed by Apollo Global Management in 2019, a month after Epstein’s death.
  • Wake County Public Schools in North Carolina reported school-level reconsiderations of Lifetouch contracts as petitions and community pressure push districts to vet vendors or seek local photographers.
  • Associated Press and other outlets report no evidence that Lifetouch photos were accessed or used in Epstein-related crimes, even as the DOJ trove shows Leon Black’s name thousands of times.