I'm going to step in for a moment, and just leave a few thoughts.
My initial thought is that this is giving our original flamer/troll exactly what they were seeking. A great deal of upset and recriminations against writers for reasons that are, or should be, irrelevant.
To explain, this notion that because some of us are moderators, we should be held to a different standard is unfair, and unfortunate. It's hardly going to encourage people to offer their time when it means opening themselves to vilification every time they write an author's note, or review a story. Most of us, as I've said, began here as members, writers with stories to tell. We believe in the freedom from censorship that AFF represents, and we're donating our time to support that mission.
And yes, while in "uniform" and posting as "AFF Moderator" we are expected to let insults and abuse roll off our backs. We warn people for infractions of the Terms of Service and it upsets them. Sometimes, we field a report of something a person believes is an infraction, and we find that it is not actually an infraction. That's often not taken well, either. I've been threatened with pretty much everything including death. I do not and will not respond to those threats, other than to report them to my admins.
I do not feel that I need to have the same restraint when I am being harassed on a personal level. My stories are not published by "AFF Moderator." Reviews that are not germane to my stories, and which contain personal attacks are not something I'm required to endure or accept, and I have as much right as any other author on this site to respond on my review reply thread. But, like any other author on this site, I can't reply on my review board, and having those personal attacks out there sets an even worse example for this site. It says we tolerate bullying, and abuse. It says we're no better than the flash mobs on Tumblr, or the Facebook and Twitter attacks that we read about online and in the news.
The only one truly being hurt here is the author who was originally subjected to a review board campaign by someone who assumed they knew the site's rules better than the staff, and who has admitted to remaining anonymous because they know it limits our options in how we can respond to the campaign they are waging, against an author who is afraid to write anything, and against staff members who are not willing to be cowed by their tactics. This person has also admitted that they are not done with their harassment.
To be very frank, if you have a better suggestion for how to handle the situation with the flamer/troll, I would love to hear it. As a parent who has taught my children that bullying is never, ever right, and to speak out if they see bullying, how can I do less myself?
We are all entitled to have an opinion. It is the hallmark of maturity to know when and how to express such opinions. It is also the hallmark of maturity to know when it's time to take a step backward, and let things cool down. I'm suggesting that we all take that step back. If nothing else, it stops feeding the flames.