MOUNT PLEASANT, Pa. — The Mount Pleasant Area School District is terminating its relationship with school photography company Lifetouch, joining other districts nationwide amid controversy tied to newly resurfaced Jeffrey Epstein documents and viral social media claims.
In a letter sent to parents and guardians, the district said it is ending its partnership with Lifetouch effective immediately and canceling upcoming spring photos.
The letter states the district holds “the highest standards and expectations” for all vendors, contractors and associated partners.
The controversy stems from Leon Black, the former CEO of Apollo Global Management. Apollo funds acquired Shutterfly — Lifetouch’s parent company — in September 2019.
Black previously had professional ties to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein and was investigated for two sexual assault allegations, but he was not criminally charged.
In recent weeks, viral posts circulating on Facebook and other platforms have described Lifetouch’s indirect connection to Black as a “parental red flag,” urging districts to reconsider their contracts.
However, Lifetouch itself is not named in the Epstein files.
In a statement sent directly to Channel 11, a Lifetouch spokesperson strongly denied the claims circulating online:
“As news media outlets are now widely reporting, these claims are completely false. No Lifetouch executives have ever had any relationship or contact with Epstein and we have never shared student images with any third party, including Apollo. Apollo and its funds also have no role in Lifetouch’s daily operations and have no access to student images. In fact, Apollo funds did not acquire Shutterfly, Lifetouch’s parent company, until September 2019 -- two months after Epstein was put in jail and a month after Epstein’s death.”
The company has also posted a statement on its website calling the allegations a “sea of misinformation.”
Apollo Funds are the majority owner of WPXI’s parent company, Cox Media Group.
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