Virginia Military Institute Two photos from VMI's 1968 yearbook, which was edited by the future state Sen. Tommy Norment.

Virginia state Sen. Tommy Norment was once the managing editor of a yearbook chock-full of racial slurs and images depicting blackface, according to a report by The Virginian-Pilot. Norment, the Republican majority leader of the state Senate, oversaw the Virginia Military Institute’s yearbook in 1968, the news outlet reports. In that yearbook, students appear dressed in blackface in several photos, and racial slurs are used regularly. In one instance, a student from Bangkok, Thailand, is called a “Jap” and a “Chink.” A caption under another unidentified man’s photo reads: “He was known as the ‘Barracks Jew’ having his fingers in the finances of the entire Corps.” The VMI yearbook, called “The Bomb,” has been published continuously since 1897. You can see the whole yearbook here.

ASSOCIATED PRESS Virginia state Sen. Tommy Norment.

Norment released a statement on Thursday, confirming his status as a former managing editor but deflecting responsibility for the pages that contained offensive material. “The use of blackface is abhorrent in our society and I emphatically condemn it,” he said. “As one of seven working on a 359-page yearbook, I cannot endorse or associate myself with every photo, entry, or word on each page. However, I am not in any of the photos referenced on pages 82 or 122, nor did I take any of the photos in question.” The politician went on to note that he “supported the integration of VMI.”

Statement from Sen Norment after @virginianpilot report showing racist photos from VMI yearbook in 1968 the year Norment was managing editor. “I cannot endorse or associate myself with every photo, entry, or word on each page.”Later writing “I supported the integration of VMI.” pic.twitter.com/9i5r7RJWXc — Tom Llamas (@TomLlamasABC) February 7, 2019