Her exit from the company was not due to her research. It was for her behavior and her attitude. The paper was just the catalyst that kicked everything else off

Her exit from the company was not due to her research. It was for her behavior and her attitude. The paper was just the catalyst that kicked everything else off. Why did they not fight to keep her, if she was so singularly brilliant? IMO, it's because she wasn't an employee they wanted to keep around. People don't get fired for asking for opportunities to respond to criticisms. My guess is there were previous incidences regarding her behavior and, in this situation, she threatened to quit and they accepted.