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A Virginia couple who say they wanted to give their 13-year-old sons a safe place to hang out with a handful of classmates ended up facing criminal charges after their backyard gathering exploded 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 attorney saying an invitation intended for just 10 to 20 classmates spread to older students.
“There will be no more,” Aubrey Vaughan told FOX 5 DC, referring to the party for their sons. “We’re done.”
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Police responded to multiple 911 calls around 9:03 p.m. reporting an out-of-control party. Callers estimated between 100 and 300 people had gathered at the home, where responding officers encountered a large crowd and fireworks being discharged, according to police.
Aubrey Vaughan apologized to neighbors, saying he was “embarrassed” by how quickly the gathering spiraled out of control. 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.
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 teenagers, according to the family’s attorney.
Aubrey Vaughan said he had “zero idea” high schoolers would show up and that he and his wife struggled to keep them out of their backyard and home.
Police described the gathering as an “underage drinking party,” but Vaughan disputed suggestions that alcohol was permitted. He told FOX 5 that the invitation explicitly prohibited alcohol and bags, and that he and his wife were home supervising the entire time.
Aubrey Vaughan estimated the incident lasted about 45 minutes, saying he realized things were getting out of hand roughly 10 to 15 minutes before officers arrived.
“They wanted to maintain a safe place, free from alcohol, for kids to have a good time, but they had no control about all the kids that arrived and caused chaos in their neighborhood,” the couple’s attorney, Alaric Piette, told FOX 5.
Piette said the parents welcomed officers and offered to let them inspect the party area, but police declined. Both parents later turned themselves in and were released on $1,000 unsecured bonds each.
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Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis acknowledged the challenges parents face when deciding whether to host gatherings at home rather than let teenagers socialize elsewhere without supervision.
“I think it’s universally a bad idea to host anything at a home,” Davis said, warning that large gatherings involving alcohol, drugs or reckless behavior can quickly become dangerous.
The police chief emphasized that “parents have to be parents” and “adults have to be adults,” warning that good intentions can have unintended consequences.
Aubrey Vaughan, meanwhile, said he was grateful police helped disperse the crowd and harbors no resentment toward the responding officers.
“The lesson is just make sure you’re watching Snapchat,” Aubrey Vaughan told FOX 5.
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Police have not announced charges against any teenagers who attended the gathering.
