An Allegheny County employee has been placed on administrative leave following a social media post directed toward a Pittsburgh radio personality.
On Friday, Communications Director Abigail Gardner posted a video on her personal Instagram page reacting to a local radio host’s comments about the bad air quality caused by the Canadian wildfires.
Gardner posted her video, saying, “You should go outside and smoke a pack, on a bridge, and then jump.”
In the video Gardner posted, she was wearing an Allegheny County Emergency Services shirt with the county seal on it.
On Monday, Gardner released a statement regarding her post:
“I made a tasteless comment out of frustration, and I apologize for my lapse in judgement. Suicide should not be a topic that is joked about or used to insult others. My comments were out of line, and I especially apologize to the employees of Allegheny County that I did not hold myself to a higher standard while representing the County.”
In response to the incident, the county said Gardner has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation.
The county added, “Allegheny County is committed to providing immediate resources to anyone in crisis. If you or someone you know is having thoughts of suicide, or experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text 988 at any time or chat with a trained counselor at 988lifeline.org.”
Additional mental health resources are available on the county’s website here.
Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts.
Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
TOP STORIES FROM CHANNEL 11 NEWS
©2026 Cox Media Group