Some how I really doubt her claim. Well not the bit about people making comments, but the other stuff.
The other stuff is probably true, TAB. I have worked white collar office jobs all my career, and the sheer pettiness of the environment is astounding - and appalling. In one case I saw a very capable young lady, a single Mom, procedurally abused by a male manager (and married too) who had made numerous passes at the woman who used to work for him (and now she was working for me, but I was an outside consultant and didn't count), and then trumped up charges and had her fired - and HR went along with the whole thing.
In white collar environments, bosses are always right, until proven otherwise.