Alameda County settles for $12 million with grandmother of abused child

Alameda County’s Board of Supervisors finalized a $12 million settlement for Sylvia Johnson, the grandmother and heir of 8-year-old Sophia Mason, whose remains were found in a locked bathroom in 2022. The deal follows an independent investigation that identified systemic failures within the Department of Children and Family Services, including eight referrals between 2014 and 2021 and a 2021 abuse report that was not properly examined.

In addition to the monetary compensation, the settlement requires the investigation’s findings to be made public and calls for a memorial bench to be placed in San Felipe Community Park in Hayward. Supervisor Lena Tam, chair of the Social Services Committee, expressed sorrow for Sophia and her family. Attorney Carly Sanchez emphasized that no sum can replace the lost child, while the mother, Samantha Johnson, is serving a 15-year-8-month prison term after pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and child abuse.