Two weeks ago, far-right news outlet Big League Politics discovered a racist photo of two men — one dressed in blackface and one dressed as a Ku Klux Klan member — on Virginia Governor Ralph Northam’s medical school yearbook page.

The emergence of this photo and Northam’s actions since then — an insufficient apology, an unconvincing denial and a short-sighted refusal to step down — demonstrate that he can no longer effectively represent Virginia and its residents. Northam should resign immediately.

To the approval of Democratic constituents like myself, Virginia has become an increasingly reliable blue state over the past decade. Voters demonstrated this trend in November 2017, when they not only elected Democrats in all three statewide races, but also brought the party a net gain of 15 seats in the House of Delegates. This election gave the state a chance to enact important progressive policies, or at least prevent the repeal of existing ones.

At the time, these victories created a hopeful outlook — some viewed the election as an early referendum on President Donald Trump, and for a while I felt incredibly proud to call Virginia my home. Much of this optimism, however, has faded as the disturbing pasts of these three statewide officials have come to light. Attorney General Mark Herring admitted to wearing blackface in college, and Lieutenant Governor Justin Fairfax — previously considered one of the party’s rising stars — faces sexual assault allegations from two women.

Despite the emergence of the alarming news, Northam has continued to cling to his position amid loud calls for his resignation. Prominent politicians and advocacy groups across the country, including at least 10 sitting U.S. Senators and the NAACP, have asked him to step down. These three men have utterly betrayed the Democratic values that got them elected, casting a long shadow over the party that markets itself as a champion of women and minorities.

Northam may regret his actions, as he has claimed, but he can no longer capably lead the state given the lack of trust his behavior has instilled in his constituents. Each day he remains in office, it becomes increasingly clear that he neither understands the seriousness of what he has done nor truly prioritizes combating racism in Virginia. In one press conference addressing the racist photo, he seemed to make light of the situation by noting that his wife thought it would be an inappropriate time to moonwalk following a series of questions about his use of blackface for a Michael Jackson costume.

Last week, Northam told The Washington Post that he has been “reading up on race” as part of his effort to move past recent events. This inadequate step comes far too late for a man leading a former Confederate state, who should have been well-versed in the topic of race in America long before running for public office. He continues to lose credibility with every new statement and has yet to provide his constituents with a compelling reason to believe that he can continue to effectively represent them.

At this point, whether Northam was actually one of the people pictured in the photo in question is irrelevant. The mere fact that he initially thought it was plausible — that there was any chance he had once dressed up either in blackface or as a KKK member — unequivocally disqualifies him from continuing to serve in public office.

Though he cannot continue to serve as governor, I do not aim to deny Northam the chance to attempt to make amends as a private citizen. Many people who once supported him recognize the work he has done to improve the lives of many Virginians, both in his career as a pediatrician and during his time in office. However, he cannot simply dismiss his behavior as mistakes committed by a different man than the one he is today. Instead, he has an obligation to accept not only responsibility for his actions, but also the consequences that accompany them.

Northam can only prove that he truly wants to atone for his actions by recognizing the magnitude of his failures and resigning from his position. Though other serious problems of racist behavior committed by Virginia’s leadership remain to be addressed, this step would help begin the process of raising the standards for those occupying the state’s highest offices and signal that racist actions will not be tolerated moving forward.

Haley Talati is a junior in the College.