California Parents Sue Bay Club After Toddler Suffers Brain Injury at El Segundo Child Care Program
Matthew and Elena Kittle filed suit on July 2 against Bay Club entities, alleging an employee dropped their 23-month-old son at an El Segundo child care program and caused a traumatic brain injury. The civil case remains pending in Los Angeles County, with no trial date announced.
The incident occurred on March 17, 2025, at the Bay Club El Segundo Clubhouse. The child, identified in the complaint as C.K., allegedly fell onto a hardwood floor after a worker swung him by the arms and lifted him above her head.
Lawsuit Describes Six-Foot Fall
Matthew Kittle checked his son into the Clubhouse at about 8:35 a.m. before going to the nearby Manhattan Country Club. The complaint places the fall about 45 minutes later inside the supervised children’s area.
Surveillance footage appears to show C.K. approaching an employee and taking her hands. The worker then swings him between her legs before lifting him above her head, the family alleges.
The employee allegedly released the toddler’s hands while he was about six feet above the floor. She tried to catch him, but he traveled behind her and struck the hardwood surface. The worker then lost her balance and fell backward onto or near him.
The parents accuse Bay Club of negligence, negligent supervision, battery, fraud, and emotional distress. Those allegations have not been proven, and the company has not publicly filed a detailed response to each claim.
Parents Challenge Injury Account
The complaint alleges employees initially described the episode as a minor accident. Elena Kittle received a missed call shortly after the fall, while Matthew Kittle received another call minutes later.
A staff member allegedly told the father that C.K. had fallen but had calmed down. Employees first suggested he did not need to collect the child immediately. They called again about 15 minutes later because he remained distressed.
Matthew Kittle arrived around 10:10 a.m. He allegedly found extensive bruising on the right side of his son’s face, a swollen mouth and a right eye that was swollen shut.
The toddler also appeared unusually sleepy, lethargic, and irritable, according to the complaint. A worker later told the father that an employee had fallen while holding C.K. about 1.5 feet above the floor.
The parents dispute that explanation. They allege the video shows a much higher fall and conduct that staff did not disclose during the first calls.
The complaint also challenges a written incident description. It allegedly portrayed the event as a loss of balance and suggested the worker caught C.K. before he struck the ground. The family says the footage contradicts that version.
Hospital Diagnosed Brain Injury
The family took C.K. to a hospital later that morning for an evaluation of blunt head trauma. He received a traumatic brain injury diagnosis, along with a concussion and facial abrasions, the complaint alleges.
Medical staff questioned whether the injuries matched a fall from 1.5 feet, the parents allege. The family requested the surveillance video and received it four days after the incident.
The parents say their son continued experiencing medical effects more than a year later, including hearing loss. Public case information does not include his complete medical record, and those ongoing symptoms have not been independently confirmed.
Ryan Saba, an attorney representing the family, said child care providers should respond to injuries with urgency and transparency. He accused the facility of concealing the seriousness of the incident from the parents.
Bay Club said it could not discuss ongoing litigation. The company said the safety of its members, employees, and the families it serves remains its highest priority.
Licensing Exemption Disputed
The lawsuit also challenges the legal status of the Clubhouse child care operation. The parents allege the location operated without a required California child care license and improperly relied on an exemption.
California allows some businesses to provide limited child care to customers without a standard facility license. Those programs usually require that parents remain on the premises and collect their children within a specified period.
The Kittles argue that the exemption did not apply because Manhattan Country Club members could leave children at the Clubhouse while using a separate property about a mile away. Matthew Kittle had gone there when the incident happened.
A search of the state system did not locate a license, a pending application, or an unlicensed-facility record associated with the Clubhouse. That result alone does not establish that Bay Club violated California law.
The licensing issue could affect which supervision, documentation, and reporting requirements apply. Licensed facilities generally face state oversight covering staffing, safety practices, and unusual-incident reports.
Case Remains Pending
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, legal costs, and a jury trial. It does not identify a scheduled hearing or trial date.
No criminal charges have been publicly announced against the employee. State officials also have not released a completed enforcement review concerning the Clubhouse.
The civil case will determine whether Bay Club or its employees bear legal responsibility for the child’s injuries and whether the parents received false information after the fall. Bay Club has not publicly addressed the video or licensing allegation beyond its litigation statement.
