We've really gotten into the weeds here. As it pertains to the specific question and situation described by OP, there is no butt-hurt, and there is no need for a better written stage briefing. Maybe not using a start box would have eliminated the incident altogether, but it shouldn't have mattered. The OP/RO clearly handled it correctly, no further discussion needed.
The crux of the issue is whether or not you think that "in the box" can mean something other than what the reasonable population of shooters believes it to mean. And if you do think that it and "everything" is open to interpretation, then I believe YOU are a big part of this problem.
If an instruction is clearly stated and understood by all reasonable shooters (even the clever ones), and then you allow yourself to be bullied into some bulls#!t way of redefining it, then YOU should not be an RO. Or worse yet, if you are the one selling your BS to the RO, then shame on you for being a wannabe cheater. You'd get more mileage out of improving your shooting skills and keeping your head in the game.
I don't like this kind of behavior, much like I don't approve of sandbagging at trophy matches. It seems to me that our community needs to take every opportunity to discourage it.