MI School District Cancels Picture Day Over Epstein Connection Claims

DEARBORN, MI — Dearborn Schools has paused picture day with Lifetouch over privacy concerns after social media posts linked a former CEO of a company that invested in Lifetouch to Jeffrey Epstein.

"Dearborn Public Schools is committed to ensuring the safety and privacy of (its) students in every aspect of their education, including the services provided by outside vendors," district officials said in a letter.

Lifetouch is owned by Shutterfly, which was acquired by affiliates of the Apollo Funds, according to an announcement from Apollo Global Management in 2019. Apollo's CEO at the time was Leon Black, who met regularly with Epstein to discuss financial matters, The Associated Press reported.

"We’re excited to welcome Shutterfly into the Apollo family of companies," according to a release from 2019 on the Lifetouch website, which also said, "Today marks a new era for Shutterfly as we work with the talented team at Apollo to advance our primary goals of product and mobile innovation as well as ongoing integration efforts with Lifetouch."

Black stepped down from his position in 2021 amid scrutiny over the billionaire’s ties to Jeffrey Epstein, CNN reported.

A Lifetouch spokesperson said that neither Black nor any of Apollo’s directors or investors, past or present, has had access to student photos.

"As news media outlets are now widely reporting, these claims are completely false. No Lifetouch executives have ever had any relationship or contact with Epstein and we have never shared student images with any third party, including Apollo. Apollo and its funds also have no role in Lifetouch’s daily operations and have no access to student images. In fact, Apollo funds did not acquire Shutterfly, Lifetouch’s parent company, until September 2019-- two months after Epstein was put in jail and a month after Epstein’s death," the statement read.

District officials, however, still decided to pause all scheduled picture sessions with the company to investigate. Officials also said they are looking for a different photo company to ensure standards for data privacy and services are met.

"Out of an abundance of caution, the district has made the decision to pause all scheduled picture sessions and services with Lifetouch at this time while we conduct a thorough investigation into these concerns," district officials said.

District officials did say there have been no confirmed student data breaches and privacy remains a top priority.

Ken Murphy, Lifetouch Group CEO, said the company is committed to protecting the privacy and personal information of every student.

"When Lifetouch photographers take your student’s picture, that image is safeguarded for families and schools, only, with no exceptions," he said. "Lifetouch does not – and has never provided – images to any third party."