nearly 100% you have no idea what it feels like to have that many hate comments
maturity is one thing for your average situation
this is not your average situation
I actually do. Don't push through and make one sided assumptions about things you do not know.
Maturity defines how you react in
any situation. You want to make this about the people who are calling him out for being an starfish. When in fact its his own personality type that has caused the problem. This is mostly on him. You can bring up that he apologized for the previous shenanigans but as a repeated offender it really is his own fault for lacking the fortitude and strength to do what most developers should and ignore them. Not throw a temper tantrum and continually ruin any credibility he has.
I understand why you sympathize but there is too much on him for it to be only the peoples fault. I am not denying the fact that they are now trying to purposefully provoke him. The mechanics to the situation are simple.