A Netflix documentary about the Strongsville, Ohio, crash that killed two teenagers has pushed the case back into the spotlight and left a Cleveland Catholic school dealing with the fallout. Steve Shirilla, the art and digital media teacher at Mary Queen of Peace School, has been placed on administrative leave since the documentary’s release.
The crash happened on July 31, 2022, when Mackenzie Shirilla was driving 100 mph before slamming into a brick wall in Strongsville. Dominic Russo and Davion Flanagan were killed. In 2023, a Cuyahoga County judge found Mackenzie Shirilla guilty of multiple charges, including murder and aggravated vehicular homicide, and she was sentenced to life in prison with eligibility for parole after 15 years served.
Mary Queen of Peace School said in an email to parents that it was investigating allegations made on social media that one of its teachers had demonstrated poor judgement. The school said the teacher was placed on administrative leave immediately after the allegation was learned and that the investigation is ongoing. It also told families that it would provide additional communication as appropriate.
The school serves children ages 5 to 14 years old, and the email came after the documentary reignited attention around the crash. A parent told 19 News that students loved and respected Shirilla as a teacher, and argued that the leave was not tied to anything he had done at school but to backlash from the community. The parent also said the school and the Catholic Diocese do background checks and due diligence when hiring teachers, and warned that families should not be pulled into the case. “Our school ranges from ages 5 to 14 years old so please, leave the children out of this situation,” the parent said. “There is no reason to be threatening an elementary school.”
The tension for the school is plain: a tragedy centered on a family name is now reaching into a classroom. What happened in Strongsville is already settled in court, but the documentary has created a new question for Mary Queen of Peace School — how long it can keep the teacher sidelined while the investigation runs its course and the attention around the case continues.
