Dearborn Schools pause picture day over Epstein connection to photo company's owner
Dearborn schools pauses picture day amid Epstein connection
The photo company, known for taking millions of student pictures every year, is run by Apollo Global Management. Its former CEO, Leon Black, met regularly with Epstein. The convicted sex offender advised Black on financial matters, The Associated Press has reported.
DEARBORN, Mich. (FOX 2) - Picture day has been put on hold for students in Dearborn due to connections between the company Lifetouch and Jeffrey Epstein, school officials announced on Monday.
The backstory:
On Feb. 16, parents were met with a release from Dearborn Public Schools, saying all student photo sessions with the parent company Lifetouch are on hold over privacy concerns.
The photo company, known for taking millions of student pictures every year, is run by Apollo Global Management. Its former CEO, Leon Black, met regularly with Epstein. The convicted sex offender advised Black on financial matters, The Associated Press has reported.
Black led the company in 2019 when Apollo bought Shutterfly, which owns Lifetouch.
That deal was closed in September 2019, approximately one month after Epstein died by suicide.
Dig deeper:
The CEO of Lifetouch said in a statement last week that neither Black nor those on Apollo's board of directors or investors had access to Lifetouch photos.
A statement posted on the company's website states that it does not appear in any file released by the Department of Justice amid the sea of documents put out by the DOJ.
"Funds managed by subsidiaries of Apollo Global Management are investors in Shutterfly, the parent company of Lifetouch. Neither Apollo nor its funds are involved in the day-to-day operations of Lifetouch and, therefore, no one employed by Apollo has ever had access to any student images.
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."
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What they're saying:
This revelation has led to schools across the country putting the picture days on hold while things are looked ove, including Dearborn Public Schools.
"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," the district wrote.
Meanwhile, they assured families with the following information:
- No Data Breach: There have been no confirmed student data breaches at this time.
- Priority on Privacy: Student safety and the protection of personal information remain our number one priority.
The district stated they are on the search for an alternate photography vendor to ensure standards for data privacy and services are met.
The Source: FOX 2 used information from Dearborn Public Schools and from previous reporting.