Khaberni - The "New York Post" reported that schools in the United States have canceled classroom photos following online news related to the late sexual offender Jeffrey Epstein.
According to the newspaper, disruption in school photography plans began in Texas and elsewhere after online posts linked the company "Lifetouch," which photographs millions of students annually, to the investment fund manager "Apollo Global Management."
The former CEO of "Apollo" is billionaire investor Leon Black, who regularly met with Epstein and received financial advice from him. Black was leading the company in 2019 when the funds managed by "Apollo" acquired "Shutterfly," the parent company of "Lifetouch."
The deal, valued at $2.7 billion, was closed in September 2019 — one month after Epstein died by suicide in jail while awaiting his trial on federal charges related to sexually assaulting and trafficking dozens of girls.
Both "Lifetouch" and "Apollo" referred to that timeline in statements released on Friday, two days after Ken Murphy, CEO of "Lifetouch," stated in an Instagram post that neither Black nor any of the directors or investors of "Apollo" had access to "Lifetouch" photos.
"Lifetouch" stated in its Friday declaration: "None of the Lifetouch executives had any relationship or contact with Epstein, and we have never shared student photos with any third party, including Apollo. Moreover, Apollo and its funds have no role in the daily operations of Lifetouch and do not have access to student photos."
The canceled school photos are another repercussion from the release of millions of files from the Epstein investigation, including documents showing his regular contacts with CEOs, journalists, scientists, and prominent politicians long after his 2008 conviction on sexual crime charges.
In the small town of Malakoff, Texas, the local educational district canceled a day designated for student photography after several parents informed the district they were uncomfortable with "Lifetouch" photographing their children, as stated by spokesperson Catherine Smith in an email statement on Friday.
Several other schools and educational districts in Texas also canceled or altered their plans, in addition to a "Charter school" in Arizona, according to announcements posted on Facebook by those schools.
Smith said: "We decided that it is in the best interest of our students and their families to keep all our photos within the institution for the rest of this year, and we are exploring all our options for the 2026-2027 school year."
Among the concerned parents about "Lifetouch" was Macallie Gunn, whose children attend schools in "Howe," about 60 miles north of Dallas, where she expressed concerns about the amount of information "Lifetouch" collects on students: "When you request photos, it shows the student's name, age of course, his grade, his teacher, and the school he belongs to."
No evidence has emerged of Epstein or anyone in his circle seeing "Lifetouch" photos through news organization reviews of thousands of documents released by the US Department of Justice this month, despite at least 1.7 million records.
The review shows that Black's name appeared 8,200 times, although this number likely includes some duplicate records. Black stepped down as CEO of "Apollo" in March 2021, stating that he wanted to focus on his family, his health, and "many other interests."
This came two months after a company board committee issued a report concluding that Epstein had personally advised Black on estate planning, tax issues, philanthropy, and management of "his family office," but had not provided any services to the "Apollo" company or invested in any of its funds.
The report also stated that the review — requested by Black — found "no evidence" of his involvement in Epstein's alleged criminal activities "in any way" or "at any time."
Jeffrey Epstein was a wealthy and prominent American financier who turned into a convicted felon, known for sex trafficking and assaulting underage girls. He established a wide network of relationships with influential figures in politics, business, and society. He died in his prison in 2019 while awaiting his trial on serious federal charges, leaving behind a series of scandals and ongoing investigations, and sparking a wave of conspiracy theories about his death, which was classified as "suicide."
