Steve Shirilla placed on leave after Mckenzie Shirilla documentary
Steve Shirilla has been placed on administrative leave from Mary Queen of Peace School after the release of the Netflix documentary The Crash. The action affects the school’s art and digital media teacher, who is also Mckenzie Shirilla’s father.
Mary Queen of Peace School said it is investigating allegations made on social media that one of its teachers has demonstrated poor judgement. The school said it acted immediately after learning of the allegation and placed the teacher on administrative leave.
Mary Queen of Peace School
In an email to parents, the school said, "We are investigating allegations made on social media that one of our teachers has demonstrated poor judgement." It also said, "Upon learning of the allegation the school acted immediately and placed the teacher on administrative leave."
The school added, "While we are limited in what we can share during an active personnel investigation, please know that we are reviewing the matter and will provide additional communication as appropriate." That leaves the teacher off campus while administrators review the complaint and decide what comes next.
The Crash and the Shirilla case
The documentary renewed attention on a case that began on July 31, 2022, when Mackenzie Shirilla crashed her vehicle in Strongsville, Ohio. She was traveling 100 mph and slammed into a brick wall, killing her boyfriend Dominic Russo and their friend Davion Flanagan.
In 2023, a Cuyahoga County judge found her guilty of multiple charges, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide. She was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 15 years served.
Community reaction
A parent told 19 News that students loved and respected Mr. Shirilla as a teacher. The same parent said, "As a parent I can understand the want to support and protect your daughter, however, I do think the way a lot of this was handled by the parents wasn’t tasteful and some of the light that Mr. Shirilla has been in due to this case and the documentary draws a negative light to our school and is drawing a scary amount of attention to our kids."
The parent also said, "The administrative leave he was placed on was not for actions he has done at the school itself and was as a result of the backlash of the community." Another comment from the parent said, "Our school and the Catholic Diocese do their background checks and due diligence while hiring teachers."
For families at the school, the immediate change is simple: Shirilla is off the classroom schedule while the investigation continues. The school has said it will send more communication as appropriate, and that is the point parents and staff will be waiting for now.
