A former Montana high school teacher was sentenced to just 30 days in prison for the rape of a 14-year-old girl who later committed suicide. The judge’s decision was immediately criticized and he has since apologized for his remarks after the sentencing.

On Monday, the former teacher, Stacey Dean Rambold was back in court. He had been charged with three counts of sexual intercourse without consent in the 2008 rape of Cherice Morales, who was 14 at the time. According to Time, he pleaded guilty to one of these counts and later, Cherice committed suicide before she turned 17. In order to get these charges dismissed, Rambold had to go through a sex-offender program, which he was later dismissed from. When prosecutors heard about this, they brought the case up again.

According to the Billings Gazette, Chief Deputy County Attorney Rod Souza was hoping for a 20-year sentence, with 10 years suspended. but Judge G. Todd Baugh instead went with a 15-year sentence and suspended all but 31 days. He even took off another day, counting it as time served. So, Rambold would only spend 30 days in prison for the crime.

Cherice’s mother was outraged, yelling “You people suck!” as she left the courtroom.

Later, the Gazette reports, Baugh explained his reasoning, saying that Charice was “as much in control of the situation” as the teacher. He said she was “older than her chronological age” and decided that Rambold’s dismissal from that sex-offender program wasn’t a big enough reason for a long sentence.

“As I looked on in disbelief, Judge Baugh stated that our teenage daughter was as much in control of thee situation,” Charice’s mother, Auliea Hanlon, said. She wasn’t even old enough to get a driver’s license. But Judge Baugh, who never met our daughter, justified the paltry sentence saying she was older than her chronological age.”

She continued, “I guess somehow it makes a rape more acceptable if you blame the victim, even if she was only 14.”

On Wednesday, Baugh sent a statement to the Gazette, apologizing for his remarks. “"I don't know what I was thinking or trying to say,” he said. “It was just stupid and wrong.”

Citizens have scheduled a rally for tomorrow and are calling for Baugh’s resignation.