The Catholic high school student from Kentucky who’s since become synonymous with bigotry after a video went viral of him blocking an elder Native American named Nathan Phillips during the Indigenous Peoples March is speaking out. 

Several outlets, including The Cincinnati Enquirer and CNN, published a statement from Covington Catholic High School junior Nick Sandmann.

The teen was on a field trip to rally at the March for Life, and was wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat while peering down at Nathan. Behind them, a large group of kids, many of whom were also wearing MAGA apparel, can be seen laughing and making fun of Nathan’s chants.

While the school and the Diocese of Covington condemned the actions of the students and apologized to Nathan, Nick wrote that the elder “had singled me out for a confrontation, although I am not sure why.”

Just in: Statement of Nick Sandmann, Covington Catholic High School junior, about the event at the Lincoln Memorial: pic.twitter.com/PkuMh2cVZM

— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) January 20, 2019

“The protestor everyone has seen in the video began playing his drum as he waded into the crowd, which parted for him,” Nick wrote. “I did not see anyone try to block his path. He locked eyes with me and approached me, coming within inches of my face. He played his drum the entire time he was in my face.”

“I never interacted with this protestor,” he continued. “I did not speak to him. I did not make any hand gestures or other aggressive moves. To be honest, I was startled and confused as to why he had approached me.”

“I was not intentionally making faces at the protestor,” he said. “I did smile at one point because I wanted him to know that I was not going to become angry, intimidated or be provoked into a larger confrontation.”