A tragic end to a very sad story.
On the one hand I can see that the elders on the committee may have felt they had little choice, since they are merely rulebook followers and have little discretion.
I was at an elders school many years ago when the question was asked whether mental health should be considered in judicial cases. The answer was that if a person is cognizant enough to live and care for himself, mental health should not be considered.
Surely though, in this day and age, clear case like this shoul have prompted them to cut him a little slack.
I can see that attending an assembly as D/f could be the last straw.