A toddler sustained a traumatic brain injury after a worker at The Bay Club Clubhouse in El Segundo allegedly threw him into the air and fell on him, according to a lawsuit.
The incident occurred on March 17, 2025, when the child's father, Matt Kittle, left his 23-month-old son, identified as C.K., at the country club's daycare. Hours later, Kittle was informed of an incident but was initially told his son had only suffered a minor fall.
Security footage captured by the facility shows a worker holding C.K. by his hands and swinging him before tossing him approximately six feet into the air. The lawsuit alleges the worker was unable to catch the child as he fell, resulting in him hitting his head on the hardwood floor. The worker then fell backward onto the toddler.
Upon retrieving his son, Kittle observed C.K. was badly bruised, with his mouth swollen and his right eye swollen shut. The child became increasingly drowsy, lethargic, and irritable. The lawsuit states that daycare staff initially downplayed the incident, suggesting the child was causing stress to the staff and that a parent needed to retrieve him.
When the parents contacted the country club again, the Aquatics Director provided a different account, stating C.K. had been held by an employee who fell while in a squatting position, with the toddler only about 1.5 feet off the ground. An incident report from the club claimed the employee had lost her footing and caught the toddler while falling, helping him avoid hitting the ground. However, the lawsuit asserts this account was untruthful.
The Kittles rushed C.K. to an emergency room, where medical staff questioned the daycare's explanation due to the severity of the injuries not being consistent with a fall from 1.5 feet. A CT scan revealed the toddler had a concussion, blunt head trauma, and a facial abrasion.
Further examinations by a pediatrician and later a neurology specialist on April 9, 2025, confirmed C.K. was experiencing symptoms consistent with a concussion. The lawsuit alleges the toddler continued to suffer from sensitivity to light and sound, irritability, irregular sleep, lethargy, and attachment issues.
The complaint, filed against The Bay Clubs Company LLC and Bay Club South Bay LLC, accuses the defendants of negligence, negligent hiring, negligent infliction of emotional distress, fraud, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and battery. The suit also contends that the Bay Club Clubhouse daycare is not licensed by the California Department of Social Services, despite the club's claim of exemption based on a policy requiring parents to remain on the property.
The Kittles are seeking a jury trial and requesting damages for past and future expenses, exemplary and punitive damages, penalties, and attorney's fees.