Cheltenham School District Photo by James Short.
The Cheltenham School District is considering changing its school photography provider after social media posts raised concerns about alleged connections between the company and a billionaire linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, according to reporting from The Philadelphia Inquirer.
Superintendent Brian Scriven informed families that the district is reviewing its options for future student portrait services following reports involving Lifetouch, the company currently contracted to take school photos. While the district has not received formal complaints from parents, officials said the message was shared proactively to address questions circulating online.
The concerns stem from reports noting that investment funds previously led by Leon Black, the former CEO of Apollo Global Management, acquired Lifetouch’s parent company, Shutterfly, in 2019. Black had acknowledged past financial ties to Epstein, prompting some school districts nationwide to reconsider using Lifetouch amid growing scrutiny and online speculation about student data and image storage.
Lifetouch has denied any connection to Epstein and stated that claims suggesting otherwise are false. The company has emphasized that Epstein died before Apollo acquired Shutterfly and said student photos have never been shared with third parties, including Apollo Global Management.
Cheltenham officials said Lifetouch will still handle scheduled kindergarten-through-eighth-grade school photos this spring. However, families who prefer not to participate may opt out by contacting their school principal. The district also provided guidance for parents seeking deletion of their child’s images from the company’s system.
Scriven noted there is currently no indication that student safety, district operations, or school services have been affected. Still, the district plans to conduct due diligence consistent with its policies before making decisions about future contracts.
District leaders said they recognize that widely shared media reports can raise concerns among families and staff and aim to remain transparent while evaluating next steps.
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