The benefit of the doubt perspective is that the statement is functionally not about your daughter. Your friend (the teacher) might've been dodging a "me too" competitive parent with that statement. That would place any blame for the other parent's child not being in class on the head of the other parent. Functionally a white lie. But when pressed the alternatives are:
1) Enable a competitive parent to pressure their child
2) Or same parent to pressure the school
I find attributing best motives (true or not) makes life more digestable.
