Mackenzie Shirilla's dad placed on leave after Netflix's The Crash as his school releases statement
Topics: Netflix, True crime, Mackenzie Shirilla
Kiesha Dosanjh
Featured Image Credit: Netflix
Topics: Netflix, True crime, Mackenzie Shirilla
The father of a girl who was given two life sentences has been suspended from his teaching job after comments he made in a Netflix documentary about the case.
Mackenzie Shirilla's dad, Steve Shirilla, featured on Netflix’s The Crash, which premiered last week on the streamer. He has since been placed on administrative leave from his position at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland, where he reportedly served as an art and digital media teacher.
The documentary focuses on his daughter’s murder charge, following her 2022 car crash, in which both her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and friend, Davion Flanagan, lost their lives.
Mackenzie, who was 17 years old at the time of the crash, which happened in Strongsville, Ohio, crashed into a brick wall after driving at 100mph.
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Investigators then began to suspect the teen had crashed the car on purpose, after initially believing it was an accident. She was arrested in November 2022, where she was charged with two counts each of murder and aggravated vehicular assault.
In 2023, she was given two life sentences, with the possibility of parole in 15 years.
During the documentary, her father, Steve, and her mother received backlash from viewers, who said they didn’t show remorse. They were also heard defending their daughter over bullying accusations made by other students.
Elsewhere, Steve said of his daughter smoking cannabis: "I don't have a problem with her smoking dope. If you're going to smoke a drug, that's the one I believe you should take."
A toxicology report found that Shirilla had THC (one of the active ingredients in cannabis) in her system at the time of the crash, but prosecutors don't think this is what caused it.
Many also criticized Steve for wearing a t-shirt with the word 'boom' written on it during filming, given the documentary's subject matter.
Some also took issue with the way Steve has protested his daughter's innocence. He told WKYC last year: "Show me one piece of evidence that says she did this on purpose. Then she's right where she belongs and she's guilty of it. But there isn't any."
According to Cleveland 19 News, children at the school were informed of the art and digital media teacher’s leave via an email, which began: “We are investigating allegations made on social media that one of our teachers has demonstrated poor judgement.”
They then said he had been placed on administrative leave ‘upon learning of the allegation’ and an investigation was ongoing. They also reassured parents that ‘the safety, wellbeing, and trust of students’ remained their top priority.
Towards the end of the lengthy statement, the school confirmed they were ‘limited’ in information they could share ‘during an active personnel investigation’ but will provide more communication when they’re able to.
"We appreciate your continued support of the Mary Queen of Peace School community," they concluded.
Steve also confirmed with the outlet that he had been placed on administrative leave, and expressed his disappointment towards the edit - telling the outlet there was more he said that didn’t make the cut.
According to the outlet, he also told them that he believes his daughter is innocent and that there’s ‘more to the story’.
In an additional statement to UNILAD, Mary Queen of Peace School said: "Administrators at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland are investigating allegations made on social media that one of its teachers has demonstrated poor judgement. Upon learning of the allegation, the school acted immediately and placed the teacher on administrative leave. The investigation is ongoing.
"The health and wellbeing of its students are among the highest priorities for Mary Queen of Peace School, and its leadership team takes all allegations of poor judgment very seriously."
Mackenzie Shirilla and her boyfriend Dominic Russo get into an argument. A friend overhears Shirilla tell him: “I will crash this car right now.”
Shirilla is driving Russo, 20, and their friend Davion Flanagan, 19, from Russo’s home to a friend’s house. At around 5.30am, she crashes the car into a Plidco Building in Strongsville, Ohio, travelling at 100mph without braking. Police arrive on the scene 45 minutes later. Russo and Flanagan are pronounced dead and Shirilla is transported to MetroHealth Medical Center.
200 people attend a vigil for Russo and Flanagan. Shirilla remains in critical condition. When a detective visits her in hospital, she is said to be speaking a ‘unique language’ similar to pig Latin.
Shirilla attends a Halloween party wearing fancy dress which resembles a corpse, which Davion’s father considers in very poor taste. He says in Netflix’s The Crash: “Dressing up as corpses three months after she killed two people, it just sickened us to the very core.”
Shirilla is arrested and faces 18 charges, including two counts of aggravated murder. She also faces charges for allegedly breaking into the Columbia Church of God in Columbia Station days before the crash, along with drug trafficking and possession charges.
Shirilla’s trial begins. Her defence team argue she may have passed out at the time of the crash due to postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), but no medical records or expert testimony confirm the diagnosis.
Shirilla is found guilty on all counts. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo calls her ‘hell on wheels’, and the court concludes she intentionally crashed the car in a premeditated act.
Shirilla is sentenced to two concurrent 15 years to life sentences. Her legal team later lose an appeal and relief petition. She remains incarcerated in Ohio Reformatory for Women.
Mackenzie’s parents insist that she’s innocent. Her father Steve tells WKYC: “Show me one piece of evidence - one - that says she did this on purpose. Show it to me, then she's right where she belongs and she's guilty of it. But there isn't any.” Her mother Natalie claims there are texts in which Shirilla says Russo was ‘trying to end her life’.
Netflix’s The Crash premieres. In it, Shirilla insists she is ‘not a murderer’ and has no memory of the crash, continuing to blame POTS.
May 18 2026
Steve Shirilla is placed on administrative leave from his job as an art and digital media teacher at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland following allegations he had ‘demonstrated poor judgement’. Viewers of Netflix’s documentary objected to his attitude towards Shirilla’s marijuana use and his dismissal of claims she told a classmate to end their life.
This is when Shirilla will be eligible for parole.