University of the District of Columbia President Allen Sessoms blamed the rigors of the job, a broken bureaucracy and bum legs for his grand expenditures over the past two years, including a first-class ticket to Cairo for nearly $8,000 and a $60,000 Lincoln Navigator.

The third-year president’s defense on Monday came as about 50 student protesters called for his resignation and amid tensions on campus over proposals to end 17 major-level programs, including French and early childhood education. It followed about a week of scrutiny over Sessoms’ spending, first reported by Fox 5 News.