The former University of Kentucky student who was banned from campus for a racist attack on a black student has been sentenced to a year in prison.
Sophia Rosing, 23, was physically assaulted and racial slurs thrown at a student counter, Kylah Spring, who is Black, in November 2022. The video of Rosing’s attack and arrest went viral, making headlines around the world and putting Britain in the spotlight.
Rosing previously pleaded guilty to four charges of assault, one charge of disorderly conduct and one charge of public intoxication, according to her lawyer Fred Peters.
Fayette Circuit Judge Lucy VanMeter sentenced Rosing to 12 months in the Fayette County Detention Center, 100 hours of community service and a $25 fine.
Peters said he thought the punishment was “excessive.”
“What she said was terrible,” Peters said. “She got into a fight with the receptionist and bit people on the hand; I don’t think she deserved a 12-month prison sentence for the very first crime of her life.”
She will be held in custody at the Fayette County Detention Center due to the nature of her offenses, Peters said.
“It was not a good day for Sophia Rosing,” he added.
Rosing was initially charged with first and second offenses of public intoxication, third-degree assault on a police officer, fourth-degree assault and second-degree disorderly conduct. She posted $10,000 bond the next night and was released.
A grand jury indicted Rosing in February 2023, and she pleaded not guilty shortly after.
What happened the night of the attack
Rosing, a white student, entered Boyd Hall and began taunting, using racial slurs and making derogatory comments toward Spring. After police arrived, Rosing continued to use slurs, resisted arrest and bit a police officer, according to the arrest report.
Video of the incident was captured and shared on social media. It showed an intoxicated Rosing spouting racial slurs hundreds of times in ten minutes. According to the police report, Rosing then attacked a police officer who was called to the scene to assist.
The university banned Rosing from campus and she withdrew from Britain shortly after her arrest. Rosing was quickly fired from Dillard’s and lost a social media partnership, according to the company.
Following the incident, a march was held on the UK campus, where hundreds of students gathered to support Spring, calling for unity and urging UK action.
In December 2022, Spring appeared on CBS mornings, which she said opened her eyes to the frequency of racism in America.
“It changed my perspective on how often these types of situations happen,” Spring said. ‘Obviously I’ve seen things like this in the news, but you don’t really know how common an incident is until it happens to you.
“It was kind of an eye-opening moment for me to wake up and realize what’s happening in our country to young children of color, to people of color.”
