What they actually did was strictly enforce the stated conditions of admission (submit final high school transcript by a certain date, with a sufficiently high senior year GPA and no D/F grades), rather than the probable leniency given in other years.
In other years, they may have let slide a slightly late final high school transcript, or a 2.9 senior year GPA. But the conditions of admission did not guarantee such leniency. Just because a clearly stated rule was not enforced the last time does not mean that it will not be enforced the next time.