A young child suffered serious injuries following an incident at a daycare center where he was thrown in the air by a caregiver and subsequently fell to the ground, as revealed in a recent legal case.
Official records reviewed by The California Post detailed the disturbing event. The child, identified as “C.K.,” aged 23 months, was swung overhead by an employee at The Bay Club Clubhouse in Santa Monica Bay, California, in March 2025.
Images from the documents depict the child being raised above the purported daycare worker’s head before the failed attempt to catch him, resulting in both individuals hitting the ground.
Following the fall, C.K. reportedly struck his head, leading to crying, while witnesses in the vicinity looked on in disbelief, according to the lawsuit.
The child sustained a severe head injury and hearing impairment, as indicated in the legal filings by his parents, Matt and Elena Kittle.
On the day of the incident, Mr. Kittle dropped off his son at 8:35 am before heading to the Manhattan Country Club. The Bay Club’s website states that members of the Manhattan Country Club can utilize the Bay Club Clubhouse nearby for child supervision without extra charges.
Upon receiving a call from the Bay Club informing him of the incident, Mr. Kittle was initially advised that his son had fallen but had calmed down. Subsequently, he was informed that C.K. needed to be picked up as he could not be pacified.
Although the staff initially downplayed the severity of the injury, the lawsuit stated that C.K. suffered visible bruising on his face, with one eye swollen shut and signs of swelling in his mouth upon returning home.
A staff member informed Mr. Kittle over the phone that the fall was minimal, approximately only a foot and a half. Nevertheless, by 11:30 am, C.K. was taken to the emergency room for evaluation, where he was diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury resulting from blunt head trauma.
The parents requested surveillance footage of the incident and observed that their child was significantly elevated before the fall, estimating a height of at least six feet.
“C.K. continues to exhibit symptoms from the traumatic brain injury, including hearing loss,” according to the lawsuit.
The legal claim contends that the El Segundo Bay Club is operating without a license from the California Department of Social Services, inaccurately asserting an exemption based on parents’ on-site presence during child supervision.
The lawsuit also alleges negligence, battery, fraud, and emotional distress on the part of the Bay Club, with the Kittles seeking a jury trial to determine damages.
The California Post’s request for comment from the Bay Club went unanswered.
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