Reminds me of the recent British case of a 6-figure salary boss in a London corporation giving his secretary a hard time after she spilled ketchup on his suit. He aggressively demanded payment of some trivial sum like £4 for cleaning.

She replied to this by e-mail, apologising for her delay in dealing with this important issue, as she had been tied up with lesser matters like her mother's terminal illness and funeral.

This e-mail exchange was leaked to the press and the boss lost his job.

Maybe this is a pointer for your case!