Ohio Gov. John Kasich on Friday told a young female college student, who said she was worried about sexual harassment and violence, that she should avoid parties with a lot of alcohol.

Democrats pounced on the remark, saying Kasich was “blaming victims of sexual and domestic violence.” But the Ohio governor rejected that idea, saying he was only warning to be careful in situations involving alcohol because “it obscures the ability of people to seek justice.”

The young woman, a first-year student at St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York, had asked the Ohio governor at a town hall here how he would help her “feel safer and more secure regarding sexual violence, harassment and rape” as president.

In answering the question, Kasich talked about efforts in Ohio to provide support for college students facing sexual harassment, such as access to confidential reporting, rape kits and the opportunity to “pursue justice after you have had some time to reflect on it all.”