I'm sure he wasn't the first to speak out against some instructors.........granted most people who may have had words to say about an instructor in the past, probably only aired these views as they were being shown the door after the axe fell.
I think in general if you manage to rub a few people up the wrong way and become unpopular.......it's human nature to unconsciously be less sympathetic when the person in question starts to struggle.......however wrong that might be.