Racist assault in residence hall | Public Relations & Marketing

Communications:

Statement March 2023: Ms. Rosing is no longer a student at UK and is banned from campus. We do not, as a matter of policy, discuss disciplinary matters involving students or former students.

News release and video message sent on Nov. 22: UK President's Message -- Updates Following Racist Assault

News release sent on Nov. 9: Update on racist incident

News release sent Nov. 7: UK student conduct review process underway following assault, racial slurs

President Capilouto's campus message sent Nov. 6: Condemning violence; supporting our community

Statement released Nov. 6: We are aware of this incident. The video is deeply offensive, and we take it very seriously. An arrest has been made in this incident. We are conducting an immediate review and have reached out to the student victim to offer support. The safety and well-being of our students is our top priority, and we will not tolerate behavior that threatens it. As we know more details, we will share more information.

FAQ

How are the victims doing?
We are in contact with the victims, and we are ensuring they remain safe and are receiving necessary support.

Do you have an updated statement/response?
All statements will be shared at https://www.uky.edu/prmarketing/assault-and-racial-slurs-residence-hall.

What action has been taken by the university considering the incident?

The racist assault captured on video was disgusting and devastating to our community. The university condemns these racist and violent actions against our students. UK Police arrested the perpetrator, and the criminal investigation is ongoing.

Within hours of learning about this incident, the University of Kentucky suspended Sophia Rosing on an interim basis – a move that banned her from campus during UK’s investigation.
As of Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, Ms. Rosing is no longer a student at UK.
President Capilouto has further 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 explored by our Office Institutional of Equity and Equal Opportunity.
Our Student Success teams continue to offer support to the victims.
We have also shared — and continue to share — resources with our campus including mental health and crisis support resources and ways to report incidents of discrimination, harassment and sexual assault.
Additional updates on our diversity and inclusion efforts to create the community of belonging we aspire to be have been shared, and we will continue to keep our community updated on those action steps and continued conversations following the racist assault.

Why did it take so long for action to be taken?

UK Police responded within minutes and arrested the perpetrator on Nov. 6.
The University of Kentucky immediately launched a student conduct investigation and within hours of learning about the incident, UK suspended Sophia Rosing on an interim basis – a move that banned her from campus during the university’s investigation.
As of Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, Ms. Rosing is no longer a student at UK.
UK will continue its cooperation with an investigation into criminal charges filed; our Code of Student Conduct disciplinary proceedings and racial harassment misconduct being explored by our Office Institutional of Equity and Equal Opportunity.
As a community working wholeheartedly to prevent racist violence, we are also committed to holding people accountable for their actions. The processes we have in place are essential.
View more information the student conduct process here.

Why was the interim suspension, put in place on Nov. 6, not announced until Nov. 9?

As of Wednesday morning, Nov. 9, Sophia Rosing is no longer a student at UK. We have chosen this morning to make the process more visible, given that she is no longer a student.

Will the student perpetrator be expelled?
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 explored by our Office Institutional of Equity and Equal Opportunity.

Find more information on the student conduct process here.

Is the student perpetrator still enrolled?
Ms. Rosing is no longer a student at UK.

Do you have update on the criminal proceedings?
We are unable to comment on ongoing criminal investigations.

What is the student conduct process and how long does it take?
The university must adhere to the law and our Code of Student Conduct for determining when people violate community standards.

Please find more details on the student conduct review process here. Timing on this process varies based on the circumstances pertaining to the specific case.

What is the disciplinary record of the student perpetrator?
This information cannot be made available due to student privacy laws under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

What type of support is the university offering to students considering the incident?
The university condemns racism and violence and will not accept it. The safety of UK students — both psychological and physical — is imperative. Our Student Success teams continue to offer support to the victims and continue to share resources of support to all students, including:

TRACS (Triage, Referral, Assistance and Crisis Support) — a physical and virtual one-stop shop where students can come for a quick referral to support services or receive direct clinical support for a range of mental health needs, basic needs and crises.
Mental health clinicians available after business hours or on the weekends.
“Let’s Talk,” informal mental health support at the MLK Center and across campus.
Ways to report discrimination and harassment through IEEO.
Reminders to contact UK Police in the event there is an immediate safety threat.
A general helpline for all questions – big or small.

What resources are available to faculty for supporting students in the aftermath of this incident?
Our Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching (CELT) boasts an array of resources and support related to building classrooms that are diverse and inclusive. Addressing this incident — and knowing how to do so well — is crucial to fulfilling our strategic goal of Bringing Together Many People; One Community.

We have also shared support resources mentioned above directly with faculty to use as needed to support their students.

Open Records

Please email ukpr@lsv.uky.edu for open records requests regarding the arrest citation.

Additional Communication

View the provost's message to faculty

View the vice president for student success's email to students