Mhm. Couple things:
First off, HSV doesn't have a WBI device, MMW or otherwise, so I haven't gotten to read up on anything but the most generalized of overviews on it.
As for being retaliatory?
According to the OP, he declined going into the WBI device. Cool. But as TSA has said, many times, and has been shown through a fair bit of statements made by people here and on the TSA Blog - if you take the option to refuse the WBI screening, then you will receive a pat-down. The video of Mr. Chaffetz's screening also seemed to indicate that he received a full-body pat-down, though I can't be 100% sure about that since it was blurred over (the motions made by the TSO indicate a FBPD to me, though).
How exactly can it be considered "retaliation," in an aggressive sense of the word, on the part of the screeners if they're doing what they seem to be supposed to be doing? Now I'd be a little more open to the idea if he agreed to the WBI scanning, and
then was sent over for a full-body patdown anyway. That, however, doesn't appear to be the case here.
Not all criteria for additional screening is protected information (the pat-down for someone wearing a big, comfy hoodie comes to mind). Sometimes there simply is none - when performing unpredictable screening, there is no criteria for pulling folks over (or for doing it at the WTMD, if I'm in that position without a male secondary screener). The only thing about it is a requirement that we cannot profile people nor use any kind of pattern (or something that can be considered a pattern). It is designed and meant to be completely arbitrary.
(Because Jim hates it when I say 'random'
)