Kind of bizarre that an embarrassing situation of having lost the drivers license out of his wallet and not noticing it until he came up to the security gate, would have been turned into such a Federal case. I guess telling him “go away until you can bring us ID” wasn’t enough for these jackboots.
I bet his results would have been different if he had talked to a SWA customer service person. He didn't have to if he downloaded his boarding passes on line.
Each airline has its own security rep, usually the desk manager, who is supposed to know the rules. This is the person you talk to if you get push back over checking firearms, certain medical devices, or in this case lose your ID. I am sure they can really grease the skids for you by talking to the right person at TSA. It is something to keep in your hip pocket in case you have a problem.