Ex-University of Kentucky student pleads guilty to assault in racist attack

LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A former University of Kentucky student pleaded guilty Monday to assault and other charges for a racist attack on a Black student.

Sophia Rosing, 23, pleaded guilty to four counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of disorderly conduct and public intoxication, the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

Rosing, who is white, attacked a Black student in 2022 while she was working in a campus residence hall. Rosing was arrested the night of the assault and later expelled from school and banned from campus by the university president.

Rosing’s attorney, Fred Peters, told the newspaper the guilty plea came after a mediation with the two parties.

“A lot of things got said, apologies were made and we worked it out,” Peters said of the session. “She has had a lot of time to think about what she has done, and she wrote a nice letter of apology.”

Rosing faces up to 1 year in jail and 100 hours of community service, according to Peters. She is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 17.

The attack was captured on video and posted to multiple social media platforms. Kylah Spring said in the video that Rosing hit her multiple times and kicked her in the stomach. Rosing could be heard using racial slurs throughout the video.