A family is suing a daycare worker after their toddler sustained a brain injury from being dropped on the floor.
The 23-month-old tot was being looked after at membership-based fitness and hospitality center, The Bay Club, in El Segundo, California.
He can be seen on CCTV footage approaching a member of staff, indicating he would like to be picked up, which she obliged and swung him into the air.
She then appeared to let go of his hands but failed to catch the child, named C.K. The pair tumbled to the floor, with the worker landing on top of him.
After moving to the side, she quickly comforts the little boy, who can be seen crying on the video as another staff member approaches them.
The family claim their son has been left with a severe brain injury and also accused the daycare of lying about the circumstances in which he was hurt.
‘The deception by the Bay Club of hiding this horrific incident from the parents is inexcusable,’ said the family’s attorney, Ryan Saba of Rosen Saba.
He continued: ‘The daycare facility should have the highest amount of care for the children, and if a child gets sick or injured, they should notify the parents with transparency and urgency.’
The toddler’s dad, Matthew Kittle, dropped him off at the center around 8:30am on March 17, 2025, with the complaint alleging he planned to return two hours later.
In the complaint, where the Kittles are seeking an undisclosed amount for damages, they allege C.K. fell from an estimated height of 6ft.
Kittle was called to inform him of the fall, but claims he was told it was a normal fall and his son did not need to be collected early.
By 9.45am, they reportedly called him again and said C.K. needed to be picked up as he could not settle.
The lawsuit states: ‘The Bay Club gave Mr. Kittle the impression that C.K. only sustained a minor injury and that it was C.K. who was causing stress on the staff, which required a parent to retrieve the child.’
On arrival, Kittle saw the injuries were worse than reported but was apparently told the employee fell over while in a ‘squatting position’, so C.K. wasn’t far from the floor.
The toddler’s eye was allegedly swollen shut, with bruising on the right side of his face and swelling around his mouth. He was also said to be drowsy and irritable.
The lawsuit alleges a staff member told Kittle his son ‘wanted to go to sleep immediately after the fall and that the Bay Club’s employees had trouble keeping him awake.’
The family claims a doctor then diagnosed C.K. with concussion, blunt head trauma and facial abrasion.
The Bay Club has said it is unable to comment on ongoing litigation.
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