A former university president came under fire this week for the advice he gave on how to combat sexual assault on college campuses. On Tuesday, George Washington University President Emeritus Stephen Trachtenberg appeared on NPR’s Diane Rehm Show and said, “Without making the victims responsible for what happens, one of the groups that have to be trained not to drink in excess are women. They need to be in a position to punch the guys in the nose if they misbehave.” Critics pounced. Jezebel slammed his comments as “jaw-droppingly stupid,” and the website noted, “If this is the attitude freely and blithely expressed by a former University President, it’s no wonder that more than 75 schools are currently under investigation by the Department of Education for botching sexual assault investigations.”

The following day, Trachtenberg told the school newspaper, The GW Hatchet, that his remarks had been taken “out of context,” but he reiterated his main point: “What I’m saying is you want to have somebody you care about like your daughter, granddaughter or girlfriend to understand her limits because she will be less likely to be unable to fight off somebody who is attacking her.”

On Thursday, Mother Jones asked Trachtenberg to comment on the ongoing controversy, and he replied with a written statement. Regarding Jezebel, he said:

More: Ex-George Washington University President Responds to Controversy Over His Sexual Assault Remarks