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A University of Kentucky student seen in a viral video hurling racial slurs told police she has 'lots of money' and gets 'special treatment'

Natalie Musumeci   

A University of Kentucky student seen in a viral video hurling racial slurs told police she has 'lots of money' and gets 'special treatment'
International3 min read
  • A University of Kentucky student seen in a viral video hurling racial slurs at Black students was arrested.
  • Sophia Rosing, 22, told police that she has "lots of money" and gets "special treatment," an arrest report says.

A University of Kentucky student seen in a now-viral video hurling racial slurs as she allegedly attacked two Black students boasted to police that she has "lots of money" and gets "special treatment," according to police records.

Sophia Rosing, 22, was arrested by University of Kentucky police on charges of alcohol intoxication in a public place, assault, assault on a police officer, and disorderly conduct shortly after the early Sunday incident on campus.

Videos posted to social media show Rosing — a senior who is white — repeatedly shout a racial slur during a physical altercation with two Black students, including a student employee, at the college's Boyd Hall.

An officer who responded to the 1 a.m. incident said in an arrest report that when he arrived he observed "a very intoxicated" Rosing in a corner "repeating" the N-word "to a group of Black females."

Rosing was taken into custody and when she was removed from the area "she continued to repeat the same word," the report says. She then "stated that she has lots of money and get [sic] special treatment," according to the arrest report.

When the arresting officer told Rosing to sit back in a chair, she "kicked" him and "bit" his hand, the report says.

The police report does not identify the arrestee as Rosing, but a school spokeswoman confirmed the person is Rosing.

Records show that Rosing was booked into the Fayette County Detention Center. Her bond was set at $10,000. As of Monday morning, she remained in custody.

University of Kentucky spokeswoman Whitney Siddiqi told Insider on Monday that a "review" of Rosing's "conduct is underway" as backlash grows against the student.

University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto said in a statement about the incident: "We condemn this behavior and will not tolerate it under any circumstance. The safety and well-being of our community has been — and will continue to be — our top priority."

The freshman student worker involved in the altercation "acted with professionalism, restraint and discretion," Capilouto said.

The college will "fully investigate" the caught-on-camera incident, Capilouto added, describing it as "painful and ugly."

The student worker involved said in a Facebook video that she had been working as a desk clerk in Boyd Hall before the incident.

"She did not have a phone with her, she didn't have an ID card," the freshman said as she explained how she tried to prevent Rosing from entering the elevator and alerted the resident advisor.

"I tried to gently move her to the side," the student said, adding that Rosing called her a racial slur and "bit me along my arm" and "punched" her in the face.

Rosing "kicked me in my stomach" and "bit my friend as well," said the student.

"She kept saying things like 'do my chores. It's not my fault that you're Black. It's not my fault that you're ugly, you're fucking ugly and Black,'" said the student. "This girl was just continuously berating me, not only with her words, but with her hands and her body and just hurting me."

The incident has caused Rosing to be dropped from a college marketing program she participated in with College Fashionista and Dillard's called Dillard's Campus Collective.

"We vehemently denounce this abhorrent behavior and do not condone racism or hate in any form. We unapologetically stand in support of BIPOC communities and affirm that Black lives matter. Full stop," College Fashionista posted on its Instagram account on Sunday as it was announced that Rosing "was removed from the College Fashionista community effective immediately."

Rosing had been involved in the program since August, College Fashionista's parent company, Her Campus Media, told Insider.

The viral video marks the second recent high-profile racist incident at the school. In 2020, a Kentucky fan at a basketball game used the same racist slur against a Tennessee fan. The Kentucky fan — who was not a student — later apologized and was banned from buying tickets to games for life.


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