When someone sends you a letter, or an email or tells you something on the telephone or tells you something in person, Do you think that you have no right to repeat it to anyone??
A "private message" on AZB is merely the name AZB has given to its in-house email system. It just means that it has not been communicated publicly on an open forum and has been sent just to the recipient(s) just like the forms of communication mentioned above.
There should be no more of an expectation of privacy in a pm than there would be in any other form of communication.
It was between the two of them, no need to air dirty laundry in public. Not to mention, that after it went public, JS was doing all the name-calling. DH never said anything disrespectful except, "if you call me a b%@&* again, you will be sorry". Just handled very immaturely if you ask me.