Sounds like something political in nature.

Essentially, you are the new guy, upper management saw a disruption in the workplace (whether or not it was your fault), and took the easy route and terminated the new guy for the sake of the greater good (to shut MS. ____ up).

"I admit to losing my temper after that, being the "verbal altercation" in question". This can be the scapegoat upper management could have used, depending on what you said. Either way, all it takes is one time to loose your temper to change everything. I have those moments sometimes, but I tend to hold my tongue.

Either way, sucks that you got the short end of that deal and I hope it all works out in the end.

When they actually fired me, they seemed to put more emphasis on the "taking things from peoples' desks." As that makes me untrustworthy.

Ya, sounds like they just wanted to shut her up. The lack of due diligance is concerning though. Ever thought of consulting a lawyer?

Go to her house and challenge her to a bout of fisticuffs.

Ultimately not worth it. I wasn't happy there, and if i had quit on my own accord they would have charged me to leave (since they paid a fair bit of money to have me background-checked), so ultimately they screwed themselves as much as they screwed me, burning their monetary investment in me (aside from the fact that i've done more training than actual work with them in the time i've been there still, so much of what they paid me is wasted money on their part now too)

So long as they don't badmouth me to future employers (which i'm pretty sure i could send a cease-and-desist letter over anyway), i'm well shut of them.

Just never put that on your resume. Future employers will probably never know unless the industry you work in is small or has close connections which is unlikely. Plus it saves you from having to discuss the matter in an interview. Better to claim being unemployed than employed for such a short time with a bad ending.

I'm sorry that just sounds hilarious. Corporate politics at its finest.

In some cases the experience i had would outweigh the fact that i got fired, especially if i spin the firing well (one person i know told me i should play up the "eating candy" bit, so say "i was fired for eating two life-savers and an animal cracker" which just makes them sound insane).

It was only three months, though, it would be easy to suggest i have simply been idle since January when my seasonal employment at Gamestop dried up. Job market's tough, and i have gone whole summers without work before.

Now i would love to hear the other side of the story. Not because i don't believe you what happened, but because i think it would be highly amusing to hear how she describes the incident