The Brief
- The Alameda County Board of Supervisors will pay $12 million to the grandmother of Sophia Mason, 8, who died in her mother’s care despite repeated child abuse calls to the county welfare system.
- As part of the settlement, a public bench in her name will be erected in Hayward and 25 recommendations to fix the county’s Children and Family Services will be posted for the public to see and ensure their implementation.
- This is the second massive payout the Alameda County Board of Supervisors has publicly issued in the last three months.
OAKLAND, Calif. – The Alameda County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday agreed to pay $12 million to the grandmother of an 8-year-old girl who died after years of abuse and neglect by her mother, despite several complaints made to the child welfare system, whose workers had determined she was safe.
$12 million over Sophia Mason’s death
This amount is tied for the second-highest legal settlement Alameda County has paid out in the last 25 years, according to a KTVU analysis of payouts by Alameda County since 2000.
The money will be paid to Sylvia Johnson, the grandmother of Sophia Mason of Hayward, who died in 2022.
As part of the settlement, a public bench in her name will be erected in Hayward and 25 recommendations to fix the county’s Children and Family Services will be posted for the public to see and ensure their implementation.…