A New Jersey court upheld the firing of a morgue employee who leaked information about the deaths of hockey star Johnny Gaudreau and his brother with his friends shortly after they were tragically killed.
Connor McGlynn, an ex-morgue assistant at the Gloucester County Medical Examiner’s Office, texted a photo of his private notes about Johnny and his brother Matthew to his hockey teammates on the night they were mowed down by an alleged drunk driver in August 2024, the Courier Post reported.
A member of the group chat then posted the snap on X and Reddit without McGlynn knowing.
The image revealed birth dates, home addresses, sensitive crash details, information about the victims, and the responding trooper’s cellphone number.
McGlynn was originally fired on Sept. 23, 2024, but challenged the decision, according to the outlet.
The New Jersey Commission reportedly held a hearing and voted 3-2 on Feb. 25 to uphold his termination. The meeting details were released publicly Thursday.
“McGlynn had no explanation for why he would send the picture in the text, other than that he was in disbelief and acted out of emotion,” the ruling said.
Sean Higgins, 45, is accused of fatally crashing into the siblings while they were riding bikes single-file on the shoulder of a road in Oldsmans Township, NJ, on Aug. 29, 2024.
Prosecutors said his blood alcohol level was allegedly .087 – slightly higher than the Garden State’s .08 legal limit – a finding he is currently challenging in court while awaiting trial.
Higgins, who allegedly told officers he had five or six drinks, had passed slower-moving vehicles when he struck the would-be Team USA forward and his brother, both married dads.
Matthew, 29, and Johnny, 31, had blood alcohol levels of .129 or above. The brothers were in town for their sister’s wedding, scheduled for the following day.
Higgins — who’s previously rejected a 35-year-sentence plea deal — has pleaded not guilty to reckless vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter and related charges.
He faces up to 70 years in prison if convicted on all counts.
Higgins is due back in court on April 14.