Anywhere in the article about these bachurim, is there a quote that their rebbe or rav holds otherwise?
You’re right. There is no quote. So you can’t make the assumption that their rav is okay with it, just as your disputants cannot make the claim that their rav disapproved.
Any claim that they didn’t ask for guidance from a rebbe or rav?
You’re right… but since there is no evidence that they did ask, the burden of proof is on you to show that they did ask.
Has anyone seen or heard even a single authoritative claim that their rebbe or rav has stated their actions were anything but appropriate?
You’re right. But as I mentioned earlier, there is no proof that they said it was appropriate. Just as the burden of proof is on your disputants to prove that a rav disapproved, the burden of proof is also on you to prove that they did.
The Wolf