A California family is suing a childcare facility after surveillance footage allegedly showed a worker tossing their 2-year-old son nearly six feet into the air, failing to catch him and then falling on top of him as he struck the floor headfirst.
Matt and Elena Kittle believed their toddler was safe when they left him at the childcare center inside Bay Club El Segundo. Instead, they say the March 2025 incident left their son with a traumatic brain injury, permanent hearing loss and other lasting health problems.
The disturbing details became public in July 2026 after the parents filed a lawsuit against the club, according to the New York Post.
Surveillance footage allegedly shows a 23-year-old childcare worker swinging the 24-month-old boy by his arms before launching him over her head.
The employee was unable to catch the child, according to the lawsuit. The toddler then fell headfirst onto the hardwood floor before the worker tumbled down on top of him.
The boy was rushed to the emergency room at Torrance Hospital later that night. Doctors diagnosed him with a traumatic brain injury, blunt-force trauma to the head and bruising, the complaint states.
His parents say he continues to experience long-term symptoms, including permanent hearing loss.
The lawsuit also accuses Bay Club employees of misleading the family about what happened.
Staff members allegedly told the parents that their son suffered a minor injury after a worker “fell over while in a squatting position.” They reportedly claimed the child had fallen from a height of only about 1.5 feet.
Matt and Elena say that explanation was completely false and that the full extent of the incident only became clear after they reviewed the surveillance video.
The lawsuit names Bay Club El Segundo and the employee allegedly involved. The worker has not been publicly identified.
The family is seeking damages for negligence, battery, fraud and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
The complaint also raises questions about the childcare center’s licensing status.
According to the lawsuit, the Bay Club El Segundo facility is not licensed by the California Department of Social Services.
The club reportedly argues that it is exempt from standard daycare licensing requirements because the childcare area operates as an on-site amenity and parents are required to remain elsewhere on the country club property while their children are being watched.
Representatives for Bay Club said they could not comment on pending litigation but maintained that the safety of members remains the company’s highest priority.
The family’s lawsuit was only recently made public, and further information about the child’s recovery, treatment and the progress of the case may emerge as the legal proceedings continue.
