Parents and Teen Face Criminal Charges Over Party That Delayed School’s Reopening

Two parents and their teenage child in Sudbury, Massachusetts are facing criminal charges for hosting a party with underage drinkers which eventually led to the local high school to delay in-person learning.

On Sept. 11, police broke up a large house party in a town near Boston involving 50-60 Lincoln-Sudbury High School students. As police arrived, teens fled into the woods, chucking beer cans as they went. Police found dozens of underage drinkers packed together, wearing no masks, in the basement.

The adults and child were charged with violating the state’s social host law, the Sudbury police chief, Scott Nix, told NBC News. Under the law, adults who give alcohol to underage drinkers face a fine of up to $2,000 or up to a year in prison.

 At least 13 teens at the party gave false names to officers and another 15 fled into the woods. Although there were no known coronavirus cases at the party, the unidentified teens created a risk for the wider school community. Health officials and school administrators decided to delay in-person learning after the entire school could quarantine for 14 days.

The high school was supposed to open Sept. 15 with a combination of in-person classes and virtual learning.

“After the intensity of hard work and planning that has been done to be able to start school with students in-person, we are profoundly disappointed at this sudden change of plans,” Superintendent and Principal Bella Wong said in a letter to parents.

A hybrid learning schedule with some in-person classes is set to begin at the high school on Tuesday.

About the Author

Yvonne Marquez is senior editor of Spaces4Learning and Campus Security and Life Safety. She can be reached at [email protected]

Featured

  • A.C. Camargo Cancer Center Enhances Security, Patient Care with Help from Advanced Video Surveillance

    A.C. Camargo Cancer Center, a leading oncology treatment center in São Paulo, Brazil recognized for its history of innovation, today announced that its partnership with Axis Communications has produced savings of more than $2 million over its first two years, all of which will be reinvested in patient care. A.C. Camargo has deployed more than 2,000 state-of-the-art video surveillance cameras throughout the Center’s corridors, complex care units, and parking lots, embracing a more holistic approach to security that emphasizes patient and employee safety along with improved quality of service. Read Now

  • 2025 Secure Campus Award Winners Announced

    Campus Security Today is pleased to announce the 2025 Secure Campus Award winners. Twenty companies are being recognized this year for products that help keep education and business campuses safe. Read Now

  • K-12 School Safety Trends Report Shows Training, Technology Are Saving Lives

    CENTEGIX, the industry leader and most widely adopted wearable safety technology provider for K-12 education, today released its 2025 School Safety Trends Report, the only comprehensive and data-rich analysis of school safety available in the wearable panic button market. The report identifies and outlines the top tech and legislative movements relevant to school safety in the U.S. and draws on data collected in the 2024/2025 school year through the CENTEGIX Safety Platform, including more than 265,000 incidents of CrisisAlert use. Read Now

  • Survey: Fewer Than 20 Percent of School Leaders Consider Their Main Entrance “Completely Secure”

    Singlewire Software, provider of solutions that help keep people safe and informed, releases the findings of its inaugural School Entrance Security Report, which captured responses from more than 500 school staff members across the United States. This research highlights the concerns and challenges schools are facing in securing their entrances and keeping students and staff safe from potential threats Read Now