Co-author does not want biography+photo in paper submission
Rather than trying to determine whether it is common or not to get the EiC involved in this matter, I would like to suggest that you ask a more "productive" question: are there established ways of handling the case when a co-author does not want to include a bio and a photo? The answer to this question, as far as the IEEE is concerned, is "yes." 

Next to the author's name, simply state:


  Randy D. Fuddles, photograph and biography not available at the time of publication.