A math professor I know had a student that failed his class. The student told his parents that the class was awful and everyone failed. The parents not only reached out to the professor and the school but threatened everyone with a lawsuit. The only problem? The kid was lying to his parents. The grade distribution was pretty standard for an intro math class.
I do not mean to cast any doubt on the particular student you referenced (about whom I know nothing and have no opinion), but I do think other stories of “everyone failing” get exaggerated to better justify poor grades.