James was very angry about the way his girlfriend was being treated. It was clear that the argument with Ms. Duncan was going nowhere. To try to resolve the situation, James asked to speak to the event's organizer.
It seemed to be a reasonable request. Ms. Duncan didn't want James to speak to her superior, though. All she would do is call another 'chaperone' over to support her. Unsurprisingly, the other chaperone backed up Ms. Duncan's opinion. Clare had to go.