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A Virginia couple who said they wanted to give their 13-year-old sons a safe place to spend time with a handful of classmates ended up facing criminal charges after their backyard gathering turned into a massive party with hundreds of teenagers, fireworks and police descending on their neighborhood.
Lisa Vaughan, 45, and Aubrey Vaughan, 55, were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance after Fairfax County police responded to their McLean home on Nov. 6. The couple maintains their innocence, with their lawyer saying an invitation intended for just 10 to 20 classmates was extended to older students.
“There won’t be any more,” Aubrey Vaughan told FOX 5 DC, referring to the party for their sons. “We’re done.”
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Lisa Vaughan, 45, and Aubrey Vaughan, 55, were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance in connection with the party. (Fairfax County Police Department)
Police responded to several 911 calls around 9:03 p.m., reporting an out-of-control party. Police said between 100 and 300 people had gathered outside the home, where responding officers encountered a large crowd and fireworks being set off.
Aubrey Vaughan apologized to his neighbors, saying he was “embarrassed” by how quickly the gathering got out of hand. He and his wife even had their 13-year-old sons go door to door to apologize after police dispersed the crowd, according to FOX 5.
Police body camera video shared on the department’s social media shows Lisa Vaughan standing outside her family’s home while speaking with responding officers. (Fairfax County Police Department)
The couple had planned a small eighth-grade gathering, but the invitation circulated on Snapchat and eventually reached students at a local high school, attracting uninvited teens, according to the family’s attorney.
Aubrey Vaughan said he had “no idea” high school students would come and he and his wife struggled to keep them out of their yard and home.
Police described the gathering as an “underage drinking party,” but Vaughan disputed suggestions that alcohol was allowed. He told FOX 5 the invitation explicitly banned alcohol and bags, and that he and his wife watched the house the entire time.
Responding officers encountered a large crowd of teenagers and fireworks going off at the home. (Fairfax County Police Department)
Aubrey Vaughan estimated the incident lasted about 45 minutes, saying he realized things were getting out of control about 10 to 15 minutes before officers arrived.
“They wanted to maintain a safe, alcohol-free place for the kids to have a good time, but they had no control over all the kids who were coming in and causing chaos in their neighborhood,” the couple’s attorney, Alaric Piette, told FOX 5.
Piette said the parents greeted the officers and offered to let them inspect the party area, but the police refused. Both parents later turned themselves in and were released on unsecured bonds of $1,000 each.
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Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis acknowledged the challenges parents face when deciding to host gatherings at home rather than letting teens socialize elsewhere unsupervised.
“I think it’s universally a bad idea to host anything in a home,” Davis said, warning that large gatherings involving alcohol, drugs or reckless behavior can quickly become dangerous.
The couple maintains their innocence, with their lawyer saying an invitation intended for just 10 to 20 classmates spread to older high school students who invaded the party. (Fairfax County Police Department)
The police chief stressed that “parents must be parents” and “adults must be adults,” warning that good intentions can have unintended consequences.
Aubrey Vaughan, meanwhile, said he was grateful to police for helping to disperse the crowd and had no hard feelings toward the officers who responded.
“The lesson is just to be sure to look at Snapchat,” Aubrey Vaughan told FOX 5.
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Police have not announced any charges against the teens who attended the gathering.
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