Wow...
Nearby Girona harbours one of the biggest parachuting communities in europe. FR flights there are full of parachutists on thrill seeking holidays every day. Most of them bring their chutes on board with them and it's not a problem. All of the GRO based guys would know that. It must have been a non GRO based skipper.
However, I don't know what happened on the day and I do respect that if a capt had a doubt he/she must react....so good on ya for reacting.
I wonder what would happen if you jumped out of a 737 at 30000ft and deployed a parachute......i don't think you would be as safe as those guys believed !!! Thats if you could get the door open!!