I think as users of a forum, free or paid, all shud be aware of the T&Cs and adhere to it.
Mods or admins (paid or voluntary) shud also carry out duties based on operating procedures in a consistent manner.
In a virtual environment where the human face is not seen, or the voice is not heard, lots of misunderstanding can happen.

As a suggestion, we can put the deleted thread to a specific area eg. Recycle bin, and state the reasons for doing so.
Thread starter can then reflect, and correct their actions and PM mods/admins for reinstatement. HTH