Let me offer an alternative.. it seems you would have been pretty young and this was more than a few years ago... its very possible your confusing what was really going on having seen it through young eyes and now trying to make the memories fit your adult knowledge. Perhaps there was a df’d person who was wearing a ribbon by happenstance. Your mom warned you and it became a whole policy as you think back.
Edit: Damn just saw steve already suggested this along with official jargon.