Even in right to work states, there's all sorts of reasons a company can't fire you, it's just the burden is on you to prove them. Pedagogical example is that your boss can't fire you just because you wouldn't sleep with him. If they fire you claiming it was just for performance, but you have evidence of circumstances that makes it clear it was because you wouldn't sleep with him, then you've got a problem.

Firing someone to screw them out of contractual rights you both agreed to is problematic. And even if the company claims it was performance-based, which they will have to, the CEO's statements basically give the other side all the evidence they need to refute that.