Regan was reportedly investigated and reprimanded three years ago for making an anti-Semitic remark at work. In the spring of 2003, an editor complained that Regan had boasted of removing the scrolls from her neighbors' mezuzas and replacing them with torn dollar bills.

Last week, Judith Regan, the seemingly unassailable dragon lady of book publishing, was finally brought down. But after weathering more than a decade of hostility from nearly every corner of the industry — from accusations of questionable taste to serious charges of harassment and abuse — the editor was dethroned by one allegation that had never appeared on her rap sheet: antisemitism.

Two publishing insiders allege that Regan regularly compared Jewish people to "rodents."

"If you were going to take an opportunity to make someone unsupportable, antisemitism would be the easiest charge to use," argued Ron Hogan, co-editor of GalleyCat, a daily blog about the publishing industry, who said he does not believe Regan is guilty of the allegation. "The only reason Judith has for hating people is whether they have done anything to hurt or help her. I don't think anything else factors into her equations."

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