Emm1412

I'm appealing on here for some kind of help/light shed on a situation.
A friend of mine was due to fly into the UK yesterday (Flint > Detroit > Amsterdam > Birmingham UK).
He got onto the flint to detroit flight perfectly fine.
Got in the line to board the detroit to amsterdam flight and was denied boarding due to having SSSS on his boarding pass.
Now, I know that's a secondary security check.. but what I can't understand is this:
After being held, searched, baggage searched etc.. 14 people from that airport (not sure if all on the same flight) were sent BACK on the next flight to flint from detroit without so much as an explanation.
He spoke to the lady on the customer service desk at flint airport and she said he was not on the 'No-Fly' list but a 'Selectee' list, gave him a TIVF form and sent him home. She said that he would be reimbursed 100% the money of his flight(s) as it was not his fault that he was on the list, can anyone confirm that he would get reimbursed?
Now, me being me, I looked up this form that he was given.. and several people have said that it's hard to get your name taken off of this list?.. I'm wondering if this is correct?..
His surname is a VERY common one, probably the most common name you've ever heard.
He's now really down about it as it cost a lot of money for the flight and is very deflated about not being able to fly after looking forward to it for so long.
If there is no way of taking his name off of this list for sure, then what other options are there?.. Name change possibly? But if he did that, would he also get 'flagged' for changing his name thus name on passport and then flying after that. I know others have changed their names and then had no issue with boarding/flying but is this really the only way out?!
Please help.. I, for one, don't know what to do.
Many thanks

Thought I would also add in that last night in Birmingham UK there were riots and buildings set alight. I wondered if, had this not have happened in the UK, he possibly would have made it all the way to the UK border and then been denied there?.. Even though the riots are a bad thing, they worked out well for him as I am guessing the riots were the reason why 14 of them were held back.