Two Alameda County supervisors have vowed to investigate the failure of county social workers to intervene in a child abuse case that culminated in the death of 8-year-old Sophia Mason of Hayward — and raised questions about the county’s refusal to release documents that could shed light on social workers’ decision-making in the case.
“It’s really effed up what happened to this young Sophia,” said Supervisor Nate Miley, responding to a Bay Area News Group investigation of the case published Sunday. “I definitely want to pursue looking into the details of what happened, where the failures were and what can be done to address this situation.”
“The facts,” he added, “will determine culpability.”
Supervisor David Haubert said he was particularly worried about the county Department of Child and Family Services’ apparent decision to keep secret the details of its response to the eight allegations of abuse and neglect made during Sophia’s short life. Alameda County’s lack of transparency thwarts the intent of a California law meant to enable public scrutiny of government agencies tasked with keeping children such as Sophia safe.
“I’m going to ask those questions internally — ‘Are we complying with the letter and spirit of the law, especially when it pertains to the press?’ ” Haubert said, adding that he wants to get to the root of where the system faltered for Sophia. “Something obviously failed — either the policies and protocols we have in place or the people we ask to follow those policies and protocols.”
In March, Sophia’s body was discovered dead inside a Merced home leased by her mother’s boyfriend. Her mother, Samantha Johnson, has been charged with her murder and is in custody in Merced County. Johnson’s boyfriend, Dhante Jackson, who is suspected of murdering and sexually abusing the girl, is at large.
The news group’s investigation determined that at least eight complaints that Sophia was being abused or neglected were made to Alameda County’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) — seven of which came in the last 15 months before her death. Yet in response to each of those calls, social workers determined that the complaints either didn’t warrant an investigation or they deemed her to be safe and didn’t provide any additional intervention, according to records provided to this news organization.
Alameda County DCFS has refused multiple requests for comment on Sophia’s case and has not responded to a detailed list of questions from this news organization, except to say that the county has disclosed all documents it is required to release under state law.
But the sparse records that the county did give this news organization do not contain any observations or evidence compiled by investigating social workers — material that is regularly released by other California counties under the terms of the law. The county also did not release any reports that DCFS should have made to police regarding the suspected abuse and neglect of Sophia, even though the law and DCFS’s own policies indicate such records should be disclosed.
Other Alameda County supervisors and officials who oversee DCFS have refused to speak publicly about Sophia’s case.
Alameda County Administrator Susan Muranishi failed to respond to multiple calls and emails from this news organization. On Tuesday, she ignored and physically dodged a reporter who sought her comment outside the Board Chambers.
Alameda County Counsel Donna Ziegler and Michelle Love, head of Alameda County DCFS, also did not respond to emails, calls and an in-person visit from a reporter this week.
And three of the five members of the Alameda County Board of Supervisors — Dave Brown, Keith Carson and Richard Valle — declined to comment.
Ed Howard, senior counsel with the University of San Diego School of Law Children’s Advocacy Institute, who co-wrote the law mandating disclosure in child death cases, SB 39, condemned their response.
“Silence and stonewalling in the face of children dying is shameful,” said Howard. “Every citizen of the county should email or call their supervisor and ask: ‘Supervisor, respectfully, how many children must die in our county before you take public responsibility for such a tragedy never happening again on your watch?’ ”
Hayward City Council members said they were “incredibly frustrated,” “angry” and “disappointed” with how Sophia’s case was handled — and the county’s lack of transparency after the fact.
“How do we make changes if you shut everyone out?” Hayward councilwoman Angela Andrews said about the county’s muted response. “If there is something that can be done better, you ask for support, you ask for help. If not, things will happen to you instead of you being part of the solution.”
Hayward mayor pro-tem Sara Lamnin said she requested a meeting with Valle’s office the day she read the investigation into Sophia’s case.
“Now is the time to bring forward whatever happened — to be willing to own it and publicly say we will not let this happen again and here is what we’re going to do about it,” Lamnin said. “Without the information, it feels like everything went wrong, and it’s really hard to say what we’re going to do differently.”
More coverage of the Sophia Mason case
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- ‘Her blood is on their hands.’ Bay Area social workers were repeatedly told Sophia was abused. They failed to stop the child’s death.
- ‘We’re broken’: Body found in Merced home identified as missing 8-year-old girl from Hayward
- Hayward mom charged with murder of 8-year-old daughter as new details come to light
- Search for man charged with murdering Hayward 8-year-old Sophia Mason drags on
