Picture day photographer kicked out of Chesapeake school after ‘inappropriate comments’
CHESAPEAKE, Va. (WAVY) — A photographer ended up being kicked off school property during picture day at a local school after making “inappropriate comments” to students.
It happened on Monday at Chittum Elementary School in Chesapeake.
Chittum Principal Bridget Outlaw said in a statement that “school administration immediately addressed the issue” after the comments were reported, and the photographer was escorted off school property.
“Parents of students who reported the concern were notified. The company management swiftly addressed the situation and started an investigation,” Outlaw said. “We want to commend our students for quickly reporting the incident. We are thankful that our message of ‘see something, say something’ was effectively used in this situation.”
School officials did not elaborate on what exactly was said, or who the photographer was, but WAVY was able to review a Facebook post from someone claiming to be a Chittum parent that sheds some light on the incident.
In the post, which has since been taken down, the parent says her child was asked several questions by the photographer, including “can I steal your identity?” and “can I eat your soul?”
She said her son was uncomfortable with the photographer’s questions and cried after reporting the comments.
The photographer’s employer, Lifetouch, shared this statement about the incident through a spokesperson: “At Lifetouch, our number one priority is the safety of every student we photograph. We have numerous policies and procedures in place to ensure that safety, including training and background checks on all of our photographers. We take any allegation about a photographer very seriously, and are conducting a thorough internal investigation. In the meantime, the employee in question has been removed from all photography duties.”
WAVY also reached out to the woman who shared the Facebook post. We’ll update this story when we hear back.
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