According to the Associated Press, the Kentucky Educational Development Corporation has suspended all current and future use of Lifetouch school photography services while it investigates safety concerns.
This decision follows reports that some districts reconsidered using the company anyway, after social media posts highlighted Lifetouch’s ownership by private equity firm Apollo Global Management.
Apollo’s former CEO, Leon Black, previously had financial ties to convicted sex offender and the late Jeffrey Epstein. Black’s counsel has denied wrongdoing, saying their client’s contacts with Epstein were “limited to financial advice.”
KEDC says the suspension is a “precautionary step” focused on student well-being, while it gathers more information and communicates with member school districts.
Lifetouch has since pushed back on what it calls “misinformation,” stating student photos are used only for school records and optional family purchases. The company has also stated images are “protected under federal and state privacy laws,” and are never shared with investors or board members.
It also notes it partners with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to provide free SmileSafe ID cards for families.
Lifetouch adds it is not named in Epstein-related documents, millions of which have been recently released, and maintains it has no connection to any illicit use of student images.
School picture day has been postponed or outright canceled in multiple states after online claims linked Lifetouch to Epstein.
At least seven East Texas districts, along with schools in Kentucky, Michigan, Arizona, and other states, have suspended or reviewed contracts. Multiple school officials across the country have said the actions are precautionary and driven by parent concerns, not reported breaches.
Despite those assurances, some parents remain uneasy about how student data is stored, prompting petitions and, in some communities, plans to use local photographers. Scores of schools in the News Edge listening area already turn to such trusted entities like Jones Photography in Mayfield and Southern Exposure in Hopkinsville.
For the Commonwealth, KEDC leadership includes superintendents from Rockcastle and Bourbon counties, and the organization supports numerous districts across eastern and central Kentucky through grants and cooperative programs. Major initiatives, including a mental-health grant, serve districts such as Bell, Floyd, and Johnson counties.
Core member districts span a wide region, including Ashland Independent, Boyd, Carter, Greenup, Lawrence, Mason, Pike, Rowan, Wolfe, and several independent school systems. KEDC has also expanded westward in recent years, adding districts such as Christian County to collaborative purchasing and instructional efforts.
