KY education group reinstates school photo company after investigation of Epstein ties

A prominent Kentucky education group has reinstated contracts with Lifetouch, a widely-used school picture day vendor, after reviewing concerns that the company may have been tied to late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

Lifetouch was used at many school districts in Kentucky, though the exact number of schools isn’t clear. In addition to the Kentucky Education Development Corporation suspending its agreements with Lifetouch, several other school districts canceled or delayed picture days, or suspended services with Lifetouch while they reviewed widespread online claims about the company. Fayette County was among those districts.

Online claims linked the company to Leon Black, a billionaire investor who regularly met with Epstein and was named more than 8,000 times in a bevy of new Epstein-related documents released this month by the U.S. Department of Justice. An Associated Press report indicated Lifetouch was linked to an investment fund manager called Apollo Global Management, which was owned by Black, and purchased Lifetouch’s parent company, Shutterfly, in 2019.

Black stepped down as CEO of Apollo in 2021, but he was leading the fund in 2019 when the sale happened.

The Kentucky Education Development Corporation said on Tuesday it had made the decision to reinstate Lifetouch as a preferred vendor for school photography services “after a comprehensive and deliberate review process.”

“We understand the concerns raised regarding Shutterfly’s historical association with Jeffrey Epstein, and we took those concerns seriously from the beginning,” said a statement released by the group, a cooperative that helps Kentucky schools secure contracts for services such as picture day.

The recent reports had caused KEDC to press pause on its Lifetouch agreements. The AP reported that several school districts nationwide canceled spring picture day due to widespread online claims that linked Lifetouch to Apollo.

Over the course of its evaluation, KEDC officials said they:

• Conducted a fact based review of publicly available records detailing the nature, scope, and timeline of the reported associations
• Reviewed corporate governance structures to determine the operational relationship between Shutterfly and Lifetouch
• Sought independent legal guidance to assess any potential risk exposure for member districts
• Examined current data security, student privacy, and compliance policies at Lifetouch
• Consulted industry experts to evaluate best practices in student data protection and vendor accountability
• Reviewed vendor agreements and contractual safeguards currently in place

KEDC determined the historical associations referenced were tied to past investment relationships which aren’t active anymore.

“We approached this process methodically and without assumption, ensuring our conclusions were grounded in verified information rather than speculation,” the statement said.

The group said they found no evidence of current affiliations or business practices that would compromise student safety, data protection, or district trust.

“Based on the evidence reviewed and guidance obtained, KEDC has concluded that Lifetouch meets our expectations for professionalism, service quality, and student data safeguards. For that reason, Lifetouch will be reinstated to our preferred vendor list,” the statement said.