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Ex-student accused in racist attack permanently banned from University of Kentucky

This photo provided by Fayette County Detention Center shows Sophia Rosing. University of Kentucky officials said they are still reviewing an incident in which Rosing is accused of physically assaulting a Black student worker while repeatedly using racial slurs. Rosing was charged Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022 with first and second offenses of public intoxication, third-degree assault of a police officer, fourth-degree assault and second-degree disorderly conduct, according to the Fayette County jail website. (Fayette County Detention Center via AP)
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Fayette County Detention Center
This photo provided by Fayette County Detention Center shows Sophia Rosing. University of Kentucky officials said they are still reviewing an incident in which Rosing is accused of physically assaulting a Black student worker while repeatedly using racial slurs. Rosing was charged Sunday, Nov. 6, 2022 with first and second offenses of public intoxication, third-degree assault of a police officer, fourth-degree assault and second-degree disorderly conduct, according to the Fayette County jail website. (Fayette County Detention Center via AP)

President Eli Capilouto says UK student Sophia Rosing has been permanently banned from campus and will not be eligible to re-enroll.

The news comes after video captured early Sunday morning showed her calling a Black UK student, Kylah Spring, racial slurs while verbally and physically assaulting her.

In the letter to the campus community, Capilouto called the behavior seen in the video "disgusting" and "devastating to our community."

Capilouto says within hours of learning about the incident, Rosing was suspended on an interim basis, which banned her from campus during their investigation.

The university said they decided to permanently ban her from campus and determined that she will not be eligible to re-enroll as a student.

Meanwhile Capilouto says in his letter that the school must continue its investigations, including cooperation with authorities as to criminal charges filed, the UK Code of Student Conduct disciplinary proceedings and racial harassment misconduct being reviewed by the Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity.

You can read Capilouto's full email here:

Update on Racist Incident

Campus Community,

We have pledged to keep you informed regarding our response to the racist assault captured on video last Sunday on our campus. I want to emphasize that this behavior was disgusting and devastating to our community. We stand by our students who were targeted by this unacceptable hostility and violence.

I write to provide an update on the incident:

  • Ms. Rosing is no longer a student at the University of Kentucky.
  • Within hours of learning about this incident, we suspended her on an interim basis – a move that banned her from campus during our investigation.
  • I have also determined that she will not be eligible to re-enroll as a student.
  • She is permanently banned from the campus.
  • Although she is no longer a student, we must continue our investigations. That includes our cooperation with an investigation into criminal charges filed; our Code of Student Conduct disciplinary proceedings and racial harassment misconduct being reviewed by our Office of Institutional Equity and Equal Opportunity.
  • Further charges could be forthcoming based on these investigations.

As a community working wholeheartedly to prevent racist violence, we also must be committed to holding people accountable for their actions. The processes we have in place are essential.

I will be sharing more information about the next steps we are taking soon. Thank you for being a community that cares.

Eli Capilouto

Alan Lytle has more than 25 years of experience as a Kentucky broadcaster. Over that span he has earned multiple awards for anchoring, writing and producing news & features for WUKY. He took home the Kentucky Broadcasters Association's Best Radio Anchor award in 2021.