Full Breakdown
Toddler’s Brain Injury Sparks Lawsuit Against Bay Club Daycare in El Segundo
7/10/2026, 3:38:48 PM
Incident Overview
On March 17 2025, at approximately 9:20 a.m., a female employee at the Bay Club’s El Segundo Clubhouse lifted a 23-month-old boy, identified in court filings as C.K., by his hands, swung him between her legs, and then tossed him over her head. Security video shows the child reaching a height of roughly six feet before the employee released his hands, causing him to strike his head on the hardwood floor and the employee to fall backward onto him. The boy suffered a concussion, blunt head trauma, facial abrasions and, according to later medical evaluations, ongoing hearing loss.
Background & Context
The Bay Club operates upscale fitness and country-club locations across California, Oregon and Washington. Its El Segundo Clubhouse includes a 14,000-square-foot childcare center marketed as a supervised play area for members’ children. California law requires child-care facilities to hold a license from the Department of Social Services unless parents remain on-site. The lawsuit alleges the Bay Club relied on an exemption that does not apply because parents are permitted to leave the premises for the nearby Manhattan Country Club.
Key Parties
- Matthew and Elena Kittle – Parents of C.K., members of the Manhattan Country Club.
- The Bay Club LLC / Bay Club South Bay LLC – Operator of the El Segundo Clubhouse.
- Rosen Saba LLP – Law firm representing the Kittles.
- Ryan Saba – Attorney for the plaintiffs.
Timeline of Key Events
- 8:30 a.m. – Matthew Kittle drops C.K. off at the Clubhouse and departs for Manhattan Country Club.
- 9:20 a.m. – Video-captured incident occurs; child is tossed ~6 ft and falls.
- 9:30 a.m. – Club calls Kittle, stating the child “has fallen” and “has since calmed down.”
- 9:45 a.m. – Second call advises Kittle to pick up C.K. because staff “could not settle him.”
- 10:10 a.m. – Kittle retrieves C.K.; observes severe bruising, swollen eye and mouth.
- 10:44 a.m. – Aquatics director describes the fall as from “1.5 feet” while the child was “being held by an employee who fell over.”
- 11:30 a.m. – C.K. taken to a Torrance emergency department; diagnosed with concussion, blunt head trauma and facial abrasion.
- March 21 2025 – Parents receive the surveillance video, which they say shows a six-foot drop.
Data & Statistics
- Child’s age: 23 months.
- Height of alleged drop: ? 6 ft (video) vs. 1.5 ft (club’s initial description).
- Medical findings: concussion, blunt head trauma, facial abrasion, ongoing hearing loss.
Why It Matters
The case highlights potential gaps in California’s childcare licensing framework when private clubs provide on-site services. If the exemption is misapplied, the incident could prompt regulatory review of corporate-run daycare centers that allow parents to leave the premises.
Official Statements & Responses
- The Bay Club: “At the Bay Club, the safety of our members, team members, and the families we serve is our highest priority.” The club declined further comment, citing ongoing litigation.
- Plaintiffs’ counsel, Ryan Saba, asserted that the club “deceived” the parents and failed to provide transparent, urgent notification of the injury.
Criticism & Opposition
The lawsuit accuses the Bay Club of multiple misconducts: negligence, negligent hiring and supervision, intentional fraud, battery and intentional infliction of emotional distress. Attorneys argue the club’s claim that the child fell only a foot and a half is a “complete lie” and that the facility operated without the required state license.
On-the-Ground Reports
Staff members captured on video appear shocked after the fall, with one employee holding the child on the floor while others look on. Parents describe C.K. as “extremely drowsy, lethargic and irritable” upon returning home.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Height of fall: Club’s initial statements cite 1.5 ft; video evidence and parental testimony indicate ~6 ft.
- Licensing status: The Department of Social Services notes an exemption for on-site parental presence, yet the lawsuit contends the Kittles were not on-site, creating uncertainty about the center’s legal compliance.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The deception by the Bay Club of hiding this horrific incident from the parents is inexcusable.” — Ryan Saba, Attorney, Rosen Saba LLP
- “The Bay Club gave Mr. Kittle the impression that C.K had only sustained a minor injury.” — Complaint filing
- “At the Bay Club, the safety of our members, team members, and the families we serve is our highest priority.” — Bay Club statement
- “C.K. is still experiencing symptoms from the traumatic brain injury, including loss of hearing,” — Neurology specialist’s assessment (as cited in the complaint)
What’s Next
The complaint, filed July 2 2025, seeks a jury trial, exemplary and punitive damages, and civil penalties. No further court dates have been disclosed.
