1. They don't force you to do anything; people choose to attend RC for 6-12 weeks, generally in transitionary points in their life/career, or when they want you to start such transitions. You come to RC to take charge of your education and focus on exploring problems that are genuinely interesting to you, in a community of curious, kind-hearted people.
2. You have no obligation to conduct your job search through RC, but they are happy to connect you with their partner companies, and yes, that is how they fund this whole experience.
3. OP wasn't "kicked out", they were asked to defer to a later batch, where they would hopefully complete the mandatory orientation
I might sound biased here, because I had a fantastic experience as a Recurse alum, and I do think that this misunderstanding could have been communicated better. But, I wanted to make sure I answered your questions/clarify the facts around RC!
Kicking someone out for accidentally missing a meeting when you know they quit their job to join seems rather... unfeeling, and would make me question their culture.