Ouch. :( That reminds me of the Brony who was fired simply for being a Brony. Here is an article where a lawyer discusses the legality of that situation. It's an interesting albeit sobering reminder that people can be legally dismissed for no reason whatsoever. Granted, I also recall the many cases where teachers have been dismissed for appearing scantily-clad on their Facebook pages.
Would any of these freshmen have been in the class that disrespected the substitute teacher, recently? Perhaps they are retaliating for having to write an apology for their actions?
And to clarify - football players?!? Don't they dress up in costumes (uniforms... same same) when partaking of their favorite pastime?
Sports fans often dress in ridiculous attire when attending games. Civil War reenactors go to elaborate ends, to dress appropriately for their hobby of choice. Would someone who dresses up for a Renaissance Faire be in danger of termination if their employer had no sense of imagination?
What a world... what a world.