Mom Hides as HP Cops Bust Teen House Party
A massive house party involving teens drinking alcohol isn’t exactly new, but how about one where the homeowner hides from police along with the kids? What do you make of this? Read on.
At 8:51 p.m. on Friday, officers busted a party in the 3700 block of Crescent Avenue, where they found about 45 underage drinkers — including several Highland Park High School students — in the pool house, not counting many others who scaled a fence in the back yard when the cops started knocking on the door.
After they found some cans of Coors Light scattered around the pool area, the officers questioned some of the tipsy teens, then tried unsuccessfully to reach the homeowners. Two of the children lied about their parents not being home, because shortly afterward, their mother came down the stairs after trying to hide from police.
She was cited for failure to supervise a child, and a 17-year-old HPHS junior was cited for minor in possession. Others were released to the custody of their parents.
Why would the cops only cite 1 teen when 45 were there? Did they give a reason? What about the teens that hosted the party?
Park Cities People usually publishes the names of adults who are arrested or given citations. Why is the parent’s name not included in this story?
Agree with Curious. Why weren’t the other teens charged? And why was the mom only cited with “failure to supervise a child” instead of being charged with the “social host” law in Highland Park? http://www.dallasnews.com/news/community-news/dallas/headlines/20101017-highland-park-other-texas-cities-change-strategies-to-combat-underage-drinking.ece
Why do parents do this? TheTexas Social Host Law forbids parents from doing this because it’s against the law. Unfortunately, it goes on every weekend in HP and until the police start arresting the parents, it will continue.
This sends a terrible message to the kids and what horrible role models these parents are being.
These parents are saying, we are above the law and entitled. Sad on all fronts! Wish police would come down harder on them…a citation for failure to supervise her child, what a joke. She was supervising, only her way, which screams, I WANT MY KID TO BE POPULAR! PLEASE COME TO MY HOUSE. YOU CAN DRINK HERE! That’s pathetic.
Why does it matter to any of you mind your own business and quit trying to fufil your good for nothing lives with getting into kids business
I’m surprised it took them this long to get ticketed. It’s been going on for years.
Obviously these parents never saw the case in Florida where the parents were sued and prosecuted for manslaughter when one of their daughters friends left her party and killed two young girls. They didn’t supply the alcohol and never came downstairs but they knowingly let the party go on and didn’t stop it. That made them liable. It cost them their successful business, home and set them to jail. Not worth it. Kids will be kids but be smart about it. You’re the adult
@curious, As a parent of a senior at HP, I care because I am not in favor of parents allowing my under age child to drink in their home, that’s why!
@Also Curious. You can narrow it down, at least for the owners. The appraisal district shows only four houses in the 3700 block of Crescent. The second one doesn’t show as having a pool or cabana.
Underage drinking is a bigger threat to our high schoolers than are books of merit but with “dirty” words. Perhaps Watermark Church can work on stopping these parties.
That doesn’t still give you the right to tell how someone should and shouldn’t parent what they do is their choice and you can’t change that choice by commenting and complaining about it. What’s done is done and yeah what the Mom did was wrong but that doesn’t give you right to go off and criticize other people on how they parent. And if your kid is the one who is partaking in activities like that at an adults house maybe you should look at your parenting skills rather than going off criticizing others.
I truly think that is pathetic. I grew up this way in HP and so wish that I had not. I was the quarterback in the late 70s and truly find this unbelievable. I have two sons who my wife and I have raised well and play football. One is headed to college and the other to his senior year. My oldest asked me what color BMW he was getting and I said you are not getting a BMW to go to college in. Why do parents put a priority on this. What is they do not succeed in business and can not afford those thing. We are setting them up for failure. Do you remember how it felt as adult making some money and going to by that luxury car that was 60000+ well I do and it felt good. I bought it and it was not given to me for graduation. Lets think parents and raise them as we were raised.
One last thing the mother should have come down as a PARENT and not a friend to her children. Be parents they are your children, not drinking buddies and best friends. If they are you best friends you are not doing a good job parenting.
Curios if you are a good parent our children are our business. Kids are goats! By the way!
Okay care for your own son @HP MOM this gives you no right to blog about it you just sound crazy and I can assure you nobody cares what anybody says on this blog
I’m not going to crucify the parents responsible although it was wrong. Instead I would like to re-enforce what @Be Smart mentioned. We had a case back home in Midland where a family through a party for their teenage children which also included alcohol. I can’t recall but I want to say 3-4 teenagers died as a result of driving while under the influence leaving the party. The families of the deceased children sued the parents responsible for supplying the alcohol. When the dust settled, the parents of the family responsible ended up selling their successful restaurant in order to help pay the fines and settlement…these people was pushing retirement age. So I caution anyone thinking about throwing a party for their kids and allowing underage drinking.
It’s time for all parents to unite on this front. This desire to be the “cool parent” or the other “as long as they drink at my house, I’m okay”. Parent your kids. Have consequences that are uncomfortable in public…check their cell phones you pay for…be humble and let your small circle know your struggles, pray on your knees.
I mean, how many parents of teens live in the 3700 block of Crescent, really?
This is everyone’s problem. It’s a problem for parents whose teens may be served alcohol illegally. It’s a problem for the general public when those teens get in their cars to drive home under the influence and potentially get in an accident and cause harm. And it’s a problem for the teens themselves because they may end up with criminal records if they are caught drinking and or drinking and driving underage. Why an apparently intelligent parent would do this knowing the dangers is beyond me.
Hey “hp moms” mind your own business. Nobody cares what you think about this subject. Of course kids are going to drink and get in trouble. If you hide your kids from it all of high school then when the time comes for them to go to college you are going to ruin them. They will have problems with drinking too much because they don’t know there limit and that is much more life threatening than being monitored at a party by a adult.
All of you concerned mothers sitting at lunch bunch wasting your time commenting and criticizing another parent should stop and take a look into your perfect, angelic, “non-drinking” children. They are the very ones putting other mothers at risk and you commenters are so naive. This mother took the risk and got in trouble while you all turned the blind eye on your own children and fuel continuos gossip. Where were your children when this was happening? Probably drunk and spending the night out while you sipped red wine at cafe pacific. You commenters are pathetic and completely hypocritical. This woman is probably wonderful and does not talk bad about others. I’m sure she had no motive of making her children popular or trying to be he “cool mom”. Would you rather your children drink in an alley? Car? The trinity? Bad neighborhood? Grow up you sound like children.
Realistic parent is right on the money, as a 2011 alum I can tell you if it’s not at an empty house or monitored party than high schoolers are going to drink and drive around or even as I’ve seen lately go to bars… Even in uptown.. Drinking at a monitored party should be the best case scenario from a parents perspective and extraditing these parents that are smart enough to realize this and try to provide a safe environment is only going to cause more over-indulging and more DUI’s.. Get a grip, you were in high school once, and I know your not all that naive. Your kid isn’t an angel and isn’t going to avoid partying because there isn’t a place to go, I’m sure you’d want it to be in a safe environment. UPPD and HPPD get way to much enjoyment from busting these parties and you parents getting your rocks off in the weekly paper reading about it. Be realistic.
Is the problem the kids or the parents? In the culture that everyone is raised in nowadays, it’s pretty difficult to control underage drinking where one can go to any home and easily access liquor. Of course there are the homes that have all of their liquor locked up, and now that parent becomes one who’s scrutinized for not being cool by all of the kids and the kids parents. The real problem is the drinking age in America, and why we think that it should be 21 vs. other countries where it is in their teenage years where one can properly learn to consume alcohol with their parents, but that debate is for another day. For now, let the youth keep drinking, and the parents keep turning the other way. It happens in all neighborhoods and media just happens to sensationalize this story compared to others.
Park cities People thank you for making this argument completely one sided and not publishing my comment. You are fueling these cruel commenters who are extremely naive on there angelic, “non drinking” children. News flash your own children are putting mothers like these at risk! Would you rather them drink in an alley? The trinity? Bad neighborhood? Lay off the red wine at cafe pacific and look into your own children’s lives. Supporting underage drinking may sound bad but it prepares them for college, when having a little tolerance saves lives. Grow up you sound like children.
All of you commenters need to stop drinking at your lunch bunches and stop gossiping and look into your perfect, angelic, “non-drinking” children’s lives. They are the very ones putting mothers like these at risk! They are drinking UNDERAGE at other parents houses while you turn the blind eye. Would you rather them drink in an alley? car? the trinity? bad neighborhood? Where were your children during this? They probably got drunk and spent the night out while you sipped red wine at cafe pacific. I cannot wait until your hypocrisy catches up with you and you are put in this situation. Although underage drinking sounds bad, it prepares children for college, and can save lives. This is probably a great woman. Grow up you sound like children.
Furthermore, why do you need her name? What are you going to do, tar and feather her across town? This is sickening.
Willing to auction off inside information as to who the perpetrator is
Hey “HP Alum” I get it. Of course kids will be kids. But we are talking about the law here and knowingly breaking the law and putting people in danger is just not ok. Just curious how you expect these kids get to get home. Drive? Would you be ok with that if it were your kid?
All these so called “parents” who are commenting on this thread need to go back to school. The misspellings and run on sentences are atrocious. Kids posting as “concerned parents” need to do a better job of sounding like educated adults. Just sayin’
Uber is everywhere in Dallas. @anothermother
Normal person, if that is in fact how those kids were getting home and their parents were aware of the party I am good with it. I just don’t think that is typically the case.
If it was such a big freaking drinking party and everyone wants to crucify one mom publicly in a newspaper, why was only 1 ticket given??? According to the story 2 teens lied about the mom’s whereabouts but somehow they don’t have tickets? This story doesn’t add up at all. Also, being at a party as described would be a major violation of the extracurricular code of conduct and nobody has said anything about athletes being suspended. Who really cares about the mom? Either there was a big out of hand party and kids should have tickets and be suspended from school sports or nothing really happened and this is just an attempt to embarrass one family. Which is it?
@expat Saying* is the term you are looking for I believe.
Coors Light…..the horror…..
NEWS FLASH: The top fourteen consumer countries of alcohol per capita are all European. The idea that early use of alcohol helps teach kids to “handle it” in the real world is wrong. Europe has a massive problem with alcoholism and the reason is, is that they let the kids start drinking too early. Rand.org statistics prove that people who abstain past the age of 23 have a 50% less chance of becoming an alcoholic. Laugh and drink it up while you can boys and girls, moms and dads. There will be plenty of time to mourn and regret later on.
This is an ongoing problem in our neighborhood. I do not think we can condone the drinking but I also feel the kids will do it when they get older. The ages of these kids was too early and how anyone can say that 15 is a good age to get started is really off base. I have a senior and she will have drinks occasionally but not with my permission. I am her mother…not her friend. We all make these decisions as a parent but the lawsuits show that they do hurt people and this is a life time of sorrow!!! I personally don’t want the responsibility of my child hurting or killing someone nor do I want them to live with this happening…aside from losing everything we have worked very hard for!!!
It has almost been 2 decades since I graduated HP, and it is the same story each year and decade. It is naive to think you are going to change this problem with one mother’s name, one post/comment, or tearing down someone’s reputation. Not long ago, the drinking age was 18. How is an 18 year old from the 60s/70s different than a teenager now? Times have changed but maturity and kids turning to teens turning into adults have not. We all make mistakes and it is best to sit down as a parent and have an adult conversation about alcohol/drugs/sex. The sooner you are able to hold a conversation rather than hold judgment/scold others or your kid the better off the community will be.
Frankly, if parties with alcohol are the worst thing you have to face with your child/neighbor, you should consider yourself fortunate.
TEXAS SOCIAL HOST LAW, is why this is so wrong in so many ways. To all you Park Cities parents who think what this mom did is OK, no wonder you and your kids feel so entitled. I guess you are above the LAW. I understand most kids are going to drink in high school but to break the law by opening your house to teenage drinking is stupid in my eyes. Not only is it stupid but it’s crazy. She wants her kids to be popular and included and what a great way to do that, opening her house for drinking and if that sounds right to you, then you are the crazy one!
My kid drinks but they go to a house where the parents are out of town or out for the evening, Or they go to one outside of HP where dad lives or the mom lives, but the PARENT isn’t home. And yes, thankful for UBER.
@curious, you sound like you may have been at the party!
@HP MOM. You are joking that you think drinking in someone else’s home when the parents aren’t there is preferable, aren’t you?
Observer, I don’t find any of the underage drinking acceptable in a home with or without parents, but I also know many teenagers will drink. I see this situation maybe differently than many of the readers here. I don’t find it acceptable for my 17 year old to be allowed by another parent to drink in their home, and I can assure there are plenty of parents who don’t care, but we do care.
If my kid chooses to take part in drinking at someone’s home when the parents aren’t there and I find out, I notify the parents and this has happened. There’s only so much control a parent has after kids start driving as to where they go etc. But to answer your question, I would prefer my kid didn’t drink at all given the addiction issues in our immediate family and the damage it has caused. The parent that allows underage drinking in their home could also be feeding future addiction issues with many of these young children!
Thanks to cell phones, teens can get a party together in 5 minutes.
If you have ever gotten a call from your neighbor while at dinner or driven up to a house full of teens you know what I’m talking about. If not, consider yourself lucky.
While my teens were not at the party in question, I happen to know a few things about the evening.
1. The homeowners were at dinner when the party started.
2. The husband left on a trip after dinner.
3. When the Mom got home she noticed that there were a few cars at her house.
4. She went upstairs to change her clothes while texting her teen to shut the party down.
5. While texting,she received a call from the HP Police- which she didn’t answer.
6. When she went downstairs to send everyone home, she found an HP Policeman in her living room ( came in when a couple of girls left)
7. Three people were given tickets.
– A teenage boy, who confessed to bringing the beer, therefore ticketed (in other words…took the blame for everyone else)
– A teenage girl was ticketed for not cooperating with the police.
– The Mom was also ticketed.
If your teen was there and you are upset with the homeowner- Why? They did not provide the alcohol, they did not personally invite your teen to their home and I’m pretty sure if your teen was drinking -it wasn’t their first experience with alcohol.
It’s easy to blame someone or to judge others for their behavior.
Instead- use this unfortunate incident as a chance to talk to your teens about the consequences of underage drinking and the dangers of hosting teen parties in your home.
It’s easy to talk about the choices that the Mom may or may not have made that night. (I’ve seen the snide FB posts and the judgmental blogs.)
But remember, you or yours may be next week’s highlighted story.
“What Suzy says about Mary says more about Suzy than Mary.”
Agreed. The general tone of self-righteous indignation about a teenage party makes some in the Park Cities look like the old timers in “Footloose,” and just as ridiculous. People are suffering. Stop blabbing on and on and on about nothing. I’m talking to you HPMOM. You sound like a real peach.
@Really??! – If everything you said is true, which I would tend to believe since why would you go in to such detail to lie, but this is just awesome. Awesome for the fact that all those who judged this incident on the surface without knowing the facts showed the world they were a ‘Suzy’.
@Really??! . That would explain the kids saying the mom wasn’t home. That would also explain that the mom wasn’t hiding, as the police claimed and as was repeated here.
But, if the mom wasn’t responsible for the party, why was she ticketed? She must have told the police that she just got home. High school kids are old enough to leave without a sitter. Was it because a drinking party was happening in her home? Or was there a younger child home among the beer cans and that was the one she (and the unticketed dad, of course) failed to supervise?
Where did the information come from for this article? It sounded like it came from a police report, which led me to believe it was factual. Where did the Mother hiding from the police come from? That sounds completely made up.
Todd,
I am not surprised. I’ve been fighting the school about the stoned kids walking the halls in a daily basis and calling police on parties myself. School tells me there is nothing they can do. Counselor told me they are getting kids ready for college and they are going to see alcohol and drugs in college, like its no big deal. I’m so suck of the HP kids parents and school officials mentality.
At a recent PTA meeting the speaker was the high powered attorney that gets HP kids off their crimes. His suggestion that we get them all uber cards floored me. Over this Bubble life crap.
Go SCOTS.
As a family that has been through the ringer with one of their kids… These were the battles we could no longer fight. I grew up privileged and did my fair share of bull#%^, but with that privilege there was not that sense of entitlement from my parents. Although I may have chosen to defy my parents and the law, there was always a sense of respect for my family to not shame them. I’m sure I did on occasion, but it was humiliating. The entitlement stinks from the top and the fallout is our kids are reckless. They barely try to sneak anything because THEY DONT HAVE TO. That’s pitiful. We all have some MAJOR housekeeping issues here. WE ALL DO…whether it’s drinking, or a broken iphone that doesn’t get fixed but gets replaced with a new upgraded iphone. Trust me, I have been guilty of all of the above, but it takes a village. We are failing our children. It’s never too late to turn things around! 🙂
Underage drinking will always be a problem and the issue will never be resolved because not all parents are on the same page. The only kid you can try to control is your own. You will never successfully control another parent’s choice of how much they will or will not tolerate. The school district shouldn’t be responsible for fixing a student. That’s the parent’s job and it begins at home.
The USA is the only country in North or South America with a 21 year old drinking age. We share this stupid and arbitrary drinking age with only six Muslim countries, including Indonesia and Pakistan. Our European allies view alcohol as a beverage to be served at meals and festive occasions, which parents teach their children to use responsibly before leaving home. This is an interesting article, which hopefully one day years from now people will read the same way we read articles about Prohibition — a government attempt to control alcohol that led to widespread “lawlessness,” and a waste of everyone’s time. The notion of giving a teenager a criminal record because he or she drank a beer is counter-productive to raising good citizens and a waste of tax dollars. If you can vote, get married, buy a gun, and die in a war as a paid soldier, you can drink a beer or a glass of wine, or even a cocktail. That’s just common sense.
Thank you all for some interesting reading. I think the bigger problem here is with entitlement and whether you choose to believe it or not, it is here. It is here in our elementary, middle, and high schools. This problem needs to be addressed and is not my job for your kid, but your job for your kid. It is my job for my kids. The problem is however that my kids see your kids. He/She wants their life. They want the party house. They want the Mercedes or Range Rover when they turn 16. They want the “cool” parents. Living in this nation of entitlement, in a city of entitlement, in a neighborhood of entitlement is a daily battle. Want to start seeing the rest of the world? Go serve in a soup kitchen, take a mission trip, go work in South Dallas or West Dallas. All of us, but especially our kids need to know that this “life”, this “entitled life” is not normal.
For those of you who are apparently lacking any kind of statistics and chastise those parents who are actively addressing their own children’s substance use and abuse concerns (and for the rest of you who can not spell, not understand the meaning of lawlessness) I offer the following. I am a parent of two teenagers who do/have attended HPHS. This issue of substance abuse has no geographic boundaries, no ethnic, religious, economic or gender boundaries. Having lived in many countries in my life – it is even an issue in Muslim countries where alcohol consumption is against all the laws of the land. Don’t fool yourselves. Don’t place ignorant blame. Do place accountability where it belongs however. According to recent studies by the NHTSA, Texas leads the nation in the rate of alcohol-related traffic deaths among 15-20 year olds. Also sited in a TABC stats pamphlet (which might do well to be directed toward one particularly law breaking parent who host many underage drinking parties just a few houses down from the UP Police station) “Parents who host parties where people are drinking alcohol are condoning an act associated with the three most common causes of teenage deaths – accidental deaths, homicides and suicides.” Also noted in the pamphlet “It is illegal for adults over 21 to drive while intoxicated, it is illegal for a minor to drive while having ANY detectable amount of alcohol in the minor’s system.” Also, “Texas holds parents/adults civilly liable for damages caused by the intoxication of a minor younger than 18 if they knowingly provided alcohol OR ALLOWED ALCOHOL TO BE SERVED ON PROPERTY OWNED OR LEASED BY THEM…It is against the law to make alcohol available to a person younger than 21 even in your own residence, even with the parent’s permission.” Stick to the facts folks.