Ann: Palladium Results Reveal Priority New Drill Targets, page-11

Monty

There are legal limits and restrictions placed on almost every aspect of our lives...including what we say.

So in effect, speech is not entirely free, and for good reason. I get the impression that Brad felt the unwarranted and unsubstantiated comments had crossed a line (at least for him). I also get the impression that he considers some of the comments may have contributed to the price action on Friday. The fact the share price has recovered most of the losses would support this.
He is well within his rights, as both a private citizen and a professional director to take whatever action he deems right and are legally available to him. If he did nothing, some here on this forum would see that as a sign the accusations were correct, or that he was weak for not taking a stand, and they would continue unabated. This is not about having open debates about the merits of what the company is doing and the actual results (when they are released). This is about having some ones personal and/or professional reputations dragged through the mud by anonymous people using false and misleading statements on a very public forum. You might want to think about how that might impact on someone. I am sure he would have taken legal advice before making the announcement (and the advice probably was that he had strong grounds supporting his position). That being the case, I (as a shareholder) fully support what he has/is doing.