Which he/she were.
> [I] missed out on some very interesting courses, and wasted my time with some absolutely lousy ones
Again, this is not a problem of the University. Ideally, you would have already researched the electives in detail and chosen the one you thought best. If you thought wrong, it's personal.
> he, or some institution he has influence over, might be partially at fault in the matter
It doesn't matter. When you go to a university, you enter into a contract and agree to several terms and conditions. If they are not met, the consequences will be faced. Arguing against is a waste of time.
> the school would provide some reasonable solution for this
Why? All the professor asked the student was to attend the next class due to tardiness. The student decided to complain about it; which was a foolish decision. It's compounded by the fact that shit happens; if you can't handle the consequences then you're not fit for life. There was no reason to email the teacher, and the punishment was rightly deserved.