What do they have to gain by insisting they were right even if they were? Do you think it would change anyone's minds or just make this whole thing last longer

What do they have to gain by insisting they were right even if they were? Do you think it would change anyone's minds or just make this whole thing last longer in the press? Even if they could definitively prove their side of the story, it would just make them look like even more of a bully to target an already let go employee.