John Jefferson
Main: Sophia Rosing appears in court to plead guilty (WLEX). Right inset: Rosing and victim Kylah Spring in 2022 (YouTube/Jess the Billionaire).
A former University of Kentucky student who was banned from campus and hit with criminal assault charges after a recording of her drunkenly attacking a Black student employee and repeatedly using the N-word went viral in 2022 pleaded guilty to several charges on Monday.
Sophia Rosing, now 23, showed up to Fayette County Circuit Court with her attorney to admit to disorderly conduct, alcohol intoxication, and four fourth-degree assault charges, charges that prosecutors seek to punish with 12 months behind bars and community service, also recommending a PSA at her former school about the perils of drinking to excess, local NBC affiliate WLEX reported.
When Rosing in November 2022 tried to enter a University of Kentucky dorm, Boyd Hall, without her student ID, Kylah Spring was working behind the desk. What happened next was caught on video and remains online to this day.
Spring could be heard saying “I don’t get paid enough for this” as she blocked Rosing from getting on an elevator and the defendant repeatedly called her the N-word, flailing her arms at Spring while struggling to keep her balance.
“What did I do to you?” Spring asked, before Rosing continued spewing racial slurs. Spring would say later that Rosing also kicked her and said things like “it’s not my fault that you’re Black,” “it’s not my fault that you’re ugly,” and “do my chores.”
After someone in the background of the video could be heard saying “you just ruined your life,” Rosing responded, “no I didn’t” twice. She then called the person recording an “ugly ass n—” and stated “that’s why you can’t get a job.”
The Lexington Herald-Leader reported that, in total, Rosing used racial slurs some 200 times in a 10-minute span.
Thereafter, Rosing was arrested, was fired from her department store job and saw a student influencer gig disappear, was “permanently banned” from campus, and eventually faced an indictment.
Sophia Rosing (Fayette County Detention Center).
On Monday, Rosing’s attorney Fred Peters told WLEX that his client no longer drinks, is “extremely remorseful,” and that she “read a very heartfelt apology to Kylah during our mediation.” But Spring, while she forgives Rosing, said that words weren’t enough to believe the remorse was sincere.
“No. Just no,” Spring said about Rosing’s claims of remorse.
“I feel that a person that is remorseful takes actions that are moving towards proving they are remorseful,” Spring said in an on-camera interview, pausing for several seconds when interviewer Leigh Searcy noted that Rosing didn’t “say anything about” the racial slurs in open court.
“Seeing yourself act in that light is not an easy thing to see, I imagine, so I guess there’s still a bit of maturing and unpacking she needs to do with that,” Spring answered. “So I’ll give her the space to do that.”
“I think that what she did today is a good first step,” she said.
Spring said that she was “happy” that she had an opportunity to tell Rosing “to her face” that she didn’t break her spirit.
“It was very affirming for me and what I needed for myself,” Spring said.
“Obviously what happened to me was very traumatic. There are still good day and bad days, but I’m okay and I’m moving forward,” she added.
Kentucky court records show that sentencing has been set for Oct. 17.
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