Well far be it for me to cast shade on your parade but they might be savvy enough to realise that it is 1-2 crazy fuckers from an internet message board and not the new york times inquiring 
I think you'll agree that disclosing student information is in itself extremely risky for an institution.
Don't get me wrong - it could be true, but "not a chance"? There's a chance. Not that I want to be the ghoul who expresses doubt but I've been burned by wayyyy too much bullshit manufactured reality over the years to not to at least question the rather strange reaction to it.
There's definitely a chance that he has agreed to not mention the school and given them permission to tell anybody inquiring that he doesn't attend there.
Academic records have the same status as medical information. It can’t be disclosed as people’s academic information is protected by FERPA.
FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, is a US federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. It applies to most public and private schools, and institutions that receive federal funding.
FERPA applies to any educational institution that receives federal funding, including:
Public and private schools at all levels (elementary, secondary, and post-secondary).
But even a disclosure that he no longer attends may violate FERPA.