Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s medical school says an investigation will be launched into all of its past yearbooks.
The president of Eastern Virginia Medical School in Norfolk announced the investigation on the school’s website late Saturday.
Dr. Richard V. Homan said he will direct an external investigation by a “panel of advocates for diversity and inclusion.” It will include African Americans and other people of color.
The announcement follows Friday’s revelation that a photo on Northam’s 1984 profile page features someone in blackface and someone in KKK robes. The image has led to a torrent of calls for his resignation.
The probe will determine the yearbook publishing process and the extent of administrative oversight. It will also examine the campus culture
Read Homan’s full statement below:
A statement from President Richard V. Homan, MD, on Feb. 2, 2019 at 8:15 p.m.
In concert with our Board of Visitors’ leadership, I will direct that an external investigation be conducted as soon as possible to review all of our past yearbooks, determine the processes for publishing those yearbooks; discover what, if any, administrative oversight was exercised; examine our campus culture; and provide recommendations for future actions.
We will move quickly to assemble an appropriate panel to conduct this investigation — a panel of advocates for diversity and inclusion representative of our greater community, including African Americans and other people of color; a diverse panel that can apply a critical eye to this issue.
We commit to transparency and moving the investigation forward as quickly as possible.
