Vitaly Tretyakov, the dean of Moscow State University’s Higher School of Television, gave a lecture on Friday at Novosibirsk State University, where he told students that “any decent man in certain circumstances can put his hand on a woman’s exposed knee… or any other place.”

Tretyakov was responding to a question about State Duma deputy Leonid Slutsky, who's been accused by multiple journalists of sexual harassment. Tretyakov said he knows Slutsky well. When the MSU dean gave his answer, many of the students reportedly walked out of the lecture hall in protest. One of the students recorded the speech and shared it with the television station RTVI.

Vitaly Tretyakov justifies men like Leonid Slutsky touching women “any place” RTVI

Tretyakov also told students, “[Slutsky] has harassed [women] and he’s going to keep harassing. And not just journalists.” A student present at the lecture is demanding an apology from the university, saying that she feels unsafe at the school while men like Tretyakov are permitted to come to campus and justify violence against women. Other students at Novosibirsk State have expressed their support for her.