I think a third explanation is more likely: management already had reasons to want to get rid of her and her 'do as I say or I quit!' email provided a convenien

I think a third explanation is more likely: management already had reasons to want to get rid of her and her 'do as I say or I quit!' email provided a convenient excuse to do so. From the type of things people are saying on r/machinelearning about what she was like to work with, it's not hard to imagine what those reasons might have been.