A young child suffered serious injuries following an incident where a daycare worker allegedly threw him into the air, causing him to fall to the ground, as detailed in a recent lawsuit.
Reports obtained from The California Post described a distressing event in which a 23-month-old boy, identified as “C.K.,” was swung by his arms by a staff member at The Bay Club Clubhouse in Santa Monica Bay, California, in March 2025.
Photographs included in the documents depicted the child being raised above the purported daycare worker’s head before she failed to catch him, resulting in both of them hitting the ground.
Following the fall, C.K. reportedly struck his head and began crying while witnesses in the room looked on in shock, according to the legal complaint filed by his parents, Matt and Elena Kittle.
The toddler sustained significant head trauma and hearing impairment, according to the filings submitted by his parents.
On the day of the incident, Mr. Kittle dropped off his son at 8:35 am before heading to the Manhattan Country Club, where members can have their children supervised at the nearby Bay Club Clubhouse at no extra cost.
After being informed by the Bay Club that his son had fallen but had calmed down, Mr. Kittle was then contacted again 15 minutes later, this time being told that his son needed to be picked up as he could not be pacified.
The lawsuit stated that C.K. had visible injuries to his face and was in a drowsy and irritable state upon returning home.
Despite being initially informed that the fall was minor, an employee later told Mr. Kittle that C.K. had only fallen a short distance of a foot and a half.
By 11:30 am, C.K. was taken to the emergency room for assessment and was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury due to the blunt head trauma suffered.
The parents requested surveillance footage of the incident, which revealed that the child was airborne at a height of at least six feet before the fall.
The lawsuit mentioned that C.K. continues to experience symptoms from the traumatic brain injury, including hearing loss.
Allegations in the lawsuit claim that the El Segundo Bay Club operates without a license from the California Department of Social Services, incorrectly asserting an exemption based on parents remaining on-site during child supervision.
The Kittles are seeking a jury trial to determine damages and have accused the Bay Club of negligence, battery, fraud, and emotional distress.
There was no immediate response from the Bay Club to The California Post’s request for comments.
