I don't know...   I think sexism can be such a subconscious animosity -- people may claim they were upset about the e-mails, but was it really an excuse to justify their perceptions about her as a woman?  Were they more willing to believe the worst about her because she was a woman who didn't fit the quiet stereotypes?  As with other beliefs and perceptions about people, how much do our subconscious beliefs color the way we look at a person's actions and opinions, and our response to them?