You drop your toddler off at a high-end club daycare. You expect certified staff, soft mats, and absolute safety. Instead, you get a phone call telling you your child had a minor fall but calmed down.
That is exactly the nightmare a Los Angeles family faced. Now, they are suing The Bay Club El Segundo for negligence, battery, fraud, and emotional distress. The details coming out of this lawsuit are enough to make any parent sick to their stomach. It turns out, the facility allegedly downplayed a catastrophic drop that left a 23-month-old boy with a traumatic brain injury and permanent hearing loss.
This case is not just an isolated horror story. It exposes a massive gap in how drop-in child supervision centers operate under the radar.
The Six Foot Drop at The Bay Club El Segundo
The incident happened in March 2025 at The Bay Club El Segundo clubhouse. Matthew Kittle dropped off his 23-month-old son, referred to in legal documents as C.K., so he could head over to another club location nearby.
What happened next was captured on security footage.
A female employee grabbed the little boy by his hands. She swung him back and forth between her legs. Then, she hoisted him high above her head. She let go of his hands. The toddler was suspended roughly six feet in the air before plunging straight down.
The worker failed to catch him. C.K. smashed his head directly onto the unpadded hardwood floor. To make matters worse, the employee lost her balance, fell backward, and landed directly on top of the tiny child.
Downplaying the Damage
The club called Matthew Kittle shortly after. They told him his son had a fall but had since calmed down. They asked if he wanted to pick the boy up but explicitly stated they did not think it was necessary. The employee completely minimized the situation.
A few minutes later, the club called back. They admitted they could not get the boy to settle. When Kittle arrived, he realized the situation was terrifyingly bad. The right side of his son's face was deeply bruised. His right eye was swollen completely shut. His mouth was bleeding and swollen.
The toddler was incredibly drowsy, lethargic, and irritable when they got him home. His parents rushed him to the emergency room. Doctors immediately diagnosed a traumatic brain injury.
When the boy's mother called the club to get answers, an employee lied. She claimed the toddler was only being held a foot and a half off the ground when he fell. It was only after the family hired the law firm Rosen Saba, LLP and obtained the security footage that the ugly truth came out.
The Licensing Loophole You Do Not Know About
How does a major luxury fitness and social club operate a childcare room without strict state oversight?
The lawsuit alleges that The Bay Club El Segundo was operating its childcare center completely without a California daycare license. The club apparently claimed an exemption from state licensing rules.
In many states, including California, gyms, country clubs, and health centers run short-term child watch facilities. Because parents remain on the premises or at connected properties, these facilities often bypass the rigorous licensing requirements imposed on traditional preschools and long-term daycares. They do not face the same unannounced state inspections. They do not have to follow strict state-mandated staff-to-child ratios. Sometimes, their background check requirements are completely different.
The California Department of Social Services searched their records and confirmed they could find no daycare license, pending application, or active regulatory record for a facility at that location.
The Bay Club has stated they cannot comment on ongoing litigation. But the reality is clear. Parents pay premium memberships assuming that a luxury brand equals top-tier safety. That assumption can be dangerous.
Red Flags in Short Term Childcare
You cannot just trust a shiny lobby or a high price tag. Look closer at how these drop-in rooms handle your kids.
First, check the flooring. Any room where toddlers are running, jumping, or being handled needs thick, impact-absorbing foam mats. Hardwood floors are a major hazard for head injuries.
Second, look at the visibility. Can you see inside the room easily? Are there open windows or security monitors available for parents to view? A lack of transparency is a massive red flag.
Third, watch how staff interact with children. Staff should never engage in rough horseplay, throwing kids in the air, or swinging them by their arms. Toddler joints and bones are fragile. Their heads are disproportionately heavy, making falls much more dangerous.
Questions to Ask Your Local Club Daycare
Do not hesitate to grill the management at your gym, church, or co-working space childcare room. Use these direct questions before you sign the check-in sheet.
- Are your child watch staff background-checked through the state database, or just a basic commercial website?
- What is your exact policy on physical horseplay or lifting children?
- If my child gets bumped or falls, do you pull security footage automatically, or do you just write a note?
- Are you operating under a specific state licensing exemption, and what are the limits of that exemption?
Protect Your Child Right Now
Do not wait for an incident to happen to find out how a facility operates. Take these steps today if you use a gym or club daycare.
- Verify the License: Look up the facility on your state's Department of Social Services website. If it is not listed, ask management exactly why they are exempt.
- Inspect the Space: Walk inside the room. Feel the floors. Check for sharp corners and unpadded surfaces.
- Demand Immediate Notification: Give clear instructions that you want to be notified immediately of any head bump, no matter how minor the staff claims it is.
- Trust Your Instincts: If your child comes back acting strange, unusually sleepy, or irritable after a stay, go straight to the clinic or emergency room. Head injuries in toddlers can disguise themselves as simple grumpiness until things turn critical.
