I don't really have a side here, I am not surprised in the slightest that people say things that others can find offensive (what a shocker).
However since we're in the era of unerasable past, its kind of expected for people to do dig up the past. I do wonder if "society" will start applying a consistency stick to what people say. I.e. if they have had a consistent view on say pedophilia in this instance.
On that note was Stallman consistent over time to this day?
This feels like an awfully familiar story. I do wonder if there aren't enough resources allocated at google to handle these types of cases. Instead we have them ending up on HN to reach some type of fix/closure from the google team.