I don't get the impression that he was "forced" to back off, but rather that he accidentally posted something that was meant for internal consumption in public.

I don't get the impression that he was "forced" to back off, but rather that he accidentally posted something that was meant for internal consumption in public. I think it's perfectly within his rights to delete the post - most people don't talk the same way with their co-workers as they do in public, and it's perfectly understandable.