McLean father charged over teen house party apologizes to neighbors: 'We're embarrassed'

FAIRFAX COUNTY, Va. - A Northern Virginia father charged after a teen house party drew 100 to 300 people apologized to his neighbors in an interview with FOX 5, saying he was "embarrassed" when high schoolers showed up to what was meant to be an eighth-grade gathering – as Fairfax County's police chief called large youth parties "universally a bad idea".

What we know:

Lisa Vaughan, 45, and Aubrey Vaughan, 55, were charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor and maintaining a common nuisance following a Nov. 6 gathering at their home in the 1400 block of Woodacre Drive in McLean.

Police said they received multiple 911 calls around 9 p.m. reporting 100 to 300 people at the property. Arriving officers found a large crowd with fireworks going off and worked to safely disperse everyone from the area.

At the briefing, police confirmed the minor involved in the case is 13 years old. The Vaughans turned themselves in to police and were each released on a $1,000 bond.

What they're saying:

In an interview with FOX 5's Homa Bash, Aubrey Vaughan apologized to his neighbors and said he was "embarrassed" by how quickly the gathering spiraled out of control.

Vaughan said he and his wife had their 13-year-old sons walk door-to-door to apologize to neighbors. He stressed that he is not upset with Fairfax County or police, saying officers were "just doing their job" and that he and his wife were "very thankful" when law enforcement arrived to clear the crowd.

According to Vaughan, the gathering was meant to be an eighth-grade event confined to their backyard – the first time the couple had ever hosted a party like it.

"There will be no more," Vaughan told FOX 5. "We're done."

Vaughan said he and his wife were home the entire time supervising and had people monitoring who entered the backyard, including house managers whom his son contacted earlier Friday to watch for anyone bringing backpacks. He added that the person playing music was also strictly instructed to keep watch.

He maintained that no alcohol was allowed on the property, noting the invitation explicitly banned bags and alcohol and that anyone who showed up with anything was told to leave. Vaughan said he has "tons of photos" showing guests in the backyard had no alcohol in their hands.

Vaughan estimated the entire incident lasted about 45 minutes from start to when officers arrived, saying he realized things were getting out of hand roughly 10 to 15 minutes before police got there. He said he had "zero idea" high schoolers would show up after the event was promoted on Snapchat, leaving the couple overwhelmed as they tried to keep older teens out of their backyard and home.

"When people see this, just put themselves in the shoes as a parent," Vaughan said, adding that he and his wife wanted their kids at home where they could watch them. "The lesson is just make sure you're watching Snapchat."

The other side:

During a news conference, FOX 5 asked Davis about the McLean case and what message he had for parents who might try to "meet their kid halfway" by hosting gatherings at home.

Davis, a father of four, acknowledged the "conundrum" parents face when deciding whether to let their kids go out unsupervised or host a gathering at home to keep an eye on them. While he said he applauds parents trying to create a safe environment, he warned that keeping out alcohol, drugs and other contraband is easier said than done because teenagers are "very resourceful."

"I think it's universally a bad idea to host anything at a home – whether it's single family, or apartment, or town house, or condominium – that involves too many people for a given environment, that involves alcohol and drugs and that involves, on occasion, driving behaviors that are reckless and dangerous," Davis said.

According to Davis, law enforcement are not against parents trying to do the right thing, even when a decision "spirals and grows and gets embellished and exaggerated and all of a sudden creates a harmful situation for the community." Still, he emphasized that "parents have to be parents" and "adults have to be adults."

On Friday afternoon, the Fairfax Police Department also shared bodycam video of the scene when officers arrived on Nov. 6 to its social media accounts.

The backstory:

The Vaughans maintain their innocence. Their attorney, Alaric Piette, told FOX 5 DC the couple only intended to let their two middle school-aged sons invite 10 to 20 classmates over for a gathering where bags and alcohol were explicitly banned on the invitation.

According to Piette, the boys sent the invite to friends, but it was shared with other students and eventually circulated at a local high school. Piette said the couple was suddenly overwhelmed when older teens they did not know showed up in their cul-de-sac.

Piette said the couple tried to keep people out of their backyard and home, welcomed officers when they arrived and invited police inside to check the party area – an offer he said officers declined. He added that the couple spoke with their children afterward about the risks of sharing information on social media and were surprised when police called the next morning asking them to turn themselves in.

"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," Piette said.

What we don't know:

Authorities have not announced any charges against the uninvited guests or teenagers who showed up at the property.

During Davis's press conference, he also floated the idea of partnering with Fairfax County Public Schools and Superintendent Dr. Michelle Reid, along with school resource officers, on a public safety messaging campaign to remind families that "a good intention can result in disastrous consequences." The campaign has not been confirmed by officials.

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