If that is a true statement how the hell did this guy pass the course and find his way into an actual cockpit ?
It could be argued in very muted tones that 'diversity' may have been a factor.
The captain was a Marine helo pilot, got some fixed wing time in a Shorts, got hired by United, didn't make it through training, went back to the Shorts. Got hired by TWA then went to UPS.
There was a big push to promote diversity in the pilot group in the early 1990's in the wake of an EEOC settlement at United that set 'goals' (read quotas) for underrepresented demographics.
Training standards were adjusted downward to allow people with low abilities or experience levels to 'settle in'. Written tests were eliminated since some groups always do worse than others on these exams. The airline simulator ride on the interview was replaced by a general aviation Frasca trainer to negate any advantage of prior large aircraft experience.
These things were done to 'level the playing field'.