Steve Shirilla, the father of Mackenzie Shirilla, has faced backlash online after viewers spotted what some have called a ‘tone-deaf’ clothing choice in Netflix documentary The Crash.
The newly released series revisits the case involving his daughter, who was charged with murder following a 2022 car crash. The incident resulted in the deaths of her boyfriend, Dominic Russo, and their friend, Davion Flanagan.
After appearing in the Netflix programme, Steve Shirilla — an art and digital media teacher at Mary Queen of Peace School in Cleveland — has been placed on administrative leave.
In a statement, 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.”
Online criticism has largely centred on a clip in The Crash that shows Steve wearing a T-shirt with the word ‘Boom’ across it — an item some viewers felt was inappropriate given the subject matter.
On Reddit, one commenter described the choice as ‘questionable’, while another labelled it ‘beyond poor taste’ and ‘insensitive’. A third person said the shirt was ‘tone deaf’.
Cleveland 19 News reported that parents at Mary Queen of Peace School were notified of the situation via email, which read: “We are investigating allegations made on social media that one of our teachers has demonstrated poor judgement.”
The school also said the inquiry is still active after the teacher was placed on administrative leave ‘upon learning of the allegation’.
Mary Queen of Peace School added that it is ‘limited’ in what it can share publicly for now because it is an ‘active personnel investigation’.
The school said additional information would be released when it is permitted to do so.
Steve later commented to TMZ, saying he isn’t sure whether the suspension relates to his ‘parenting’ or ‘defending his daughter’. He also claimed the school’s response followed a wave of calls from concerned parents.
“I would hope they would support me like I’ve supported that school for the past seven years,” Mackenzie’s father added.
“If the diocese want to test me every day they can test me and I won’t have marijuana in my system.”
July 17 2022 – Mackenzie Shirilla and her boyfriend Dominic Russo get into an argument. A friend overhears Shirilla tell him: “I will crash this car right now.”
July 31 2022 – 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 Cente.
August 2022 – 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.
October 2022 – 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.”
November 4 2022 – 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.
August 7 2023 – 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 confirms the diagnosis.
August 14 2023 – Shirilla is found guilty on all counts. Judge Nancy Margaret Russo calls her ‘hell on wheels’, and the court concludes she intetionally crashed the car in a premeditated act.
August 23 2023 – 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 Refamatory for Women.
May 22 2025 – 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’.
May 15 2026 – 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.
September 2037 – This is when Shirilla will be eligible for parole.