Sophia Rosing, the former University of Kentucky student who was seen hurling racial slurs at a Black student in a viral 2022 video filmed on campus, has pleaded guilty after authorities brought assault charges against her.
Rosing’s attorney, Fred Peters, told CNN that she entered the guilty plea after a mediation in Fayette County Circuit Court on Monday. Peters said she pleaded guilty to four counts of fourth-degree assault, one count of disorderly conduct, and one count of alcohol intoxication.
Rosing also initially faced a felony charge of third-degree assault on a police officer or probation officer. But the plea agreement saw that charge being dropped.
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Rosing made national headlines after a viral video showed her hurling racial slurs at Kylah Spring – a Black student. The incident happened on campus, and Spring was working as a desk clerk at Boyd Hall when Rosing hurled multiple racial slurs at her. In the wake of the incident, school officials suspended Rosing on an interim basis before she was permanently banned from campus.
Peters said “people got to apologize and express feelings face-to-face” during the court mediation on Monday. “I told her she didn’t break my spirit,” Spring told WLEX.
“That was one of the things I said the first time I ever spoke about what happened, and it rings true today,” she continued. “I said that she would not break my spirit, and I’m happy to say that she didn’t, and I got to tell her that to her face, and that was very, that was very affirming for me and what I needed for myself.”
For the assault charges, Fayette Commonwealth’s Attorney Kimberly Baird told CNN that she asked the court to sentence Rosing to up to 12 months. That sentence duration is prescribed by law, and Baird proposed that Rosing serve it concurrently. Baird also recommended that Rosing be sentenced to 100 hours of community service and fined $25.
Baird further stated that she and the University of Kentucky are trying to put things in place to have Rosing undertake a public service announcement regarding the dangers of drinking. Prosecutors granted Spring the opportunity to provide sentencing ideas, and she proposed that initiative.
Rosing is set to be sentenced on October 17.
