Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam's invitation to attend The College of William & Mary’s annual celebration and the inauguration of its current president has been rescinded amid calls for him to resign after a racist image was discovered on his medical school yearbook page, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on Monday.
President Katherine Rowe, who has been at the helm of Virginia's oldest school since last summer, announced to the student body on Monday that Northam would not be attending Friday's ceremony.
"That behavior has no place in civil society – not 35 years ago, not today," Rowe said. "It stands in stark opposition to William & Mary's core values of equity and inclusion."
Rowe added that “under the circumstances, it has become clear that the governor’s presence would fundamentally disrupt the sense of campus unity we aspire to and hope for with this event. We have conferred with the governor’s office, and he will not be part of Friday’s program."
Rowe’s statement did not address the question of whether the governor should resign.
Northam officiated the swearing-in ceremony for Rowe last July, and he was scheduled to attend her inauguration, which is take place during the university's annual celebration of its 1693 founding.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.