/r/technology just removed a thread about this verdict for 'not being about technology'.

Seems to me that mods are wary that even discussing this issue may put their sub in the crosshairs, and use tenuous reasons to delete.

Edit: the /r/news thread about this which was at the top of 'rising' has suddenly disappeared from there...

Edit2: now it came back again

It wasn't. See the commotion for yourself now that users can search her name again: http://www.reddit.com/search?q=Ellen+Pao&restrict_sr=off&sor...

Not really, I've seen a lot of threads about her get deleted. You can go on /r/undelete and see posts deleted.