Investigation in Ralph Northam’s Yearbook Photo Ends Up a Dud

Steve Helber / APIn this Friday, Feb. 22, 2019, file photo, Gov. Ralph Northam, center, greets members of the Richmond 34 and other African-American leaders for a breakfast at the Governors Mansion at the Capitol in Richmond, Virginia. (Steve Helber / AP)

By Tim Pearce
Published May 22, 2019 at 8:09am

Eastern Virginia Medical School released the results of a months-long investigation into offensive images on Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s 1984 senior yearbook page on Wednesday.

EVMS hired the law firm McGuireWoods to conduct the investigation.

The McGuireWoods investigation ended inconclusively, and attorneys blamed the passage of time and lack of documentary evidence for the vague results.

“We could not conclusively determine the origin of that photograph,” an attorney at McGuireWoods said at a media conference Wednesday.

The law firm could neither find evidence that the photo was placed on Northam’s yearbook page in error nor that Northam had requested the photo.

Do you think Northam should have resigned over this?

Northam has made his own contradicting statements on the matter, the attorney said.

Northam’s yearbook page surfaced online on Feb. 1.

The page included a photo of two costumed people standing side-by-side, one in blackface and the other in a KKK cloak.

The photo prompted an apology from the Virginia governor the same day:

Northam: “Earlier today, a website published a photograph of me from my 1984 medical school yearbook in a costume that is clearly racist and offensive. I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now.” pic.twitter.com/JorKLuFOd7

— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) February 2, 2019

“I am deeply sorry for the decision I made to appear as I did in this photo and for the hurt that decision caused then and now,” he said.

“This behavior is not in keeping with who I am today and the values I have fought for throughout my career in the military, in medicine, and in public service. But I want to be clear, I understand how this decision shakes Virginians’ faith in that commitment.”

Northam backtracked on his apology on Feb 2, saying he was neither of the people in the photo, though he did admit to wearing blackface in a separate instance as part of a Michael Jackson costume.

Northam resisted calls to resign over the scandal.

Virginians overall were split on the issue with 47 percent saying he should resign and 47 percent saying he should stay, according to a Washington Post/Schar School poll released Feb. 10.

Northam’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

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