Stew Leonard's CEO and staff shielded from personal liability in dancer's allergic death lawsuit A Connecticut judge ruled that individual executives and employees of Stew Leonard's cannot be personally sued for the wrongful death of a professional ballet dancer, whose fatal allergic reaction resulted from a mislabeled cookie. While the lawsuit against the company and the manufacturer continues, the ruling highlights the challenges of holding personal parties accountable under product liability laws. Stew Leonard's CEO and staff cannot be personally sued over the death of a New York City-based professional ballet dancer who succumbed to a severe allergic reaction, a Connecticut judge ruled. On Oct. 15, Waterbury Superior Court Judge Kimberly Massicotte dismissed all claims against individual executives and employees under the Connecticut Product Liability Act (CPLA), though the wrongful death lawsuit against Stew Leonard's Holdings LLC and Cookies United, the cookie manufacturer, will proceed. The dancer, Órla Baxendale, died from anaphylactic shock after consuming a vanilla Florentine cookie whose packaging failed to list peanuts, to which she was severely allergic.Baxendale's estate alleges Stew Leonard's neglected to update its labels despite being notified by Cookies United of a recipe change in 2023. The case has sparked broader concerns about food labeling transparency and corporate responsibility for allergen exposure.