University of Kentucky student arrested after calling peer the N-word, biting her
Sophia Rosing faces charges of disorderly conduct, public intoxication from alcohol, fourth-degree assault and third-degree assault of a police officer.
A University of Kentucky student faces harsh consequences after physically assaulting and verbally attacking a Black fellow UK co-ed with racial slurs.
According to WKYT News, in response to an assault on Kylah Spring, a Black student working as a desk clerk in a college dormitory, campus police arrested Sophia Rosing early Sunday morning, before 4 a.m. Rosing appeared intoxicated when she entered the building, according to Spring, who described the incident in a video uploaded to TikTok.
“Basically, what happened was I stuck my head out the window, [and] I was like, ‘Are you okay? What’s going on?’ And that’s when the N-word, the B-word, those racial slurs and things started coming out,” Spring explained, via TikTok.
“So I called the RA down, but [they] took a minute,” she continued. “In between the time of the RA getting down, the girl has called me the N-word and the B-word multiple times; she’s punched me twice at this point; she’s bitten on my arm a few times, as well as kicked me in my stomach, and she tried to run me and my friend over with a shopping cart.”
While Spring acknowledged that she and her unnamed friend had a similar experience, she has decided to withhold her friend’s identity until this person speaks up and shares her feelings.
“So we finally get the RA to come down, and the girl starts saying things like, ‘Do my chores; it’s not my fault that you’re Black; it’s not my fault that you’re ugly … at this point, she’s like singing the N-word,” Spring continued in her TikTok clip. “There are multiple people trying to get this girl to be quiet. She bit a couple of other people who were trying to basically calm her down.”
Rosing allegedly behaved erratically even after campus police arrived, refusing to give them her identity — and even kicking one of the officers, according to Spring.
WKYT reported that Rosing’s bond was set at $10,000 after her 3:50 a.m. booking Sunday at the Fayette County Detention Center. She faces charges that include disorderly conduct, public intoxication from alcohol, fourth-degree assault, and third-degree assault of a police officer.
In her TikTok video, Spring said incidents like the one she experienced occur far too frequently on college campuses, and little is being done about it.
“At this point, the attention needs to be shifted from the offenders to the offended,” she said.
According to WKYT, the University of Kentucky released an initial statement on Twitter maintaining that they were investigating the incident and supporting the victim.
Dr. Eli Capilouto, president of UK, issued a follow-up statement denouncing Rosing’s conduct. From his perspective, Spring was professional and used discretion in her responsive actions. Capilouto said that he’d update the faculty and staff as the investigation into the incident progressed, and that “we also must learn from this moment and do better as a community.”
“The video images I have seen do not honor our responsibilities to each other,” said Capilouto, according to WKYT. “They reflect violence, which is never acceptable, and a denial of the humanity of members of our community. They do not reflect civil discourse. They are deeply antithetical to what we are and what we always want to be as a community.”
“There is no more important responsibility we have — or commitment we must make — than to treat each person — each person — on this campus as people who have equal intrinsic worth and value,” he added.
Rosing worked as a Dillard’s campus influencer, according to her LinkedIn profile. Dillard’s and Her Campus Media, the parent company of College Fashionista through which she was hired, have severed ties with Rosing, effective immediately.
College Fashionista said in a statement to WKYT that they would be doing an immediate full assessment of their member management procedures, including their internal training programs and vetting procedures.
“At Her Campus Media and College Fashionista, we vehemently denounce this abhorrent behavior and do not condone racism or hate in any form,” the company told WKYT. “We unapologetically stand in support of BIPOC communities and affirm that Black lives matter. Full stop.”
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