Film & TV4 min(s) read
Published 11:13 20 May 2026 GMT
In an episode of the Netflix documentary series Mean Girl Murders, viewers learned that Mackenzie Shirilla had used marijuana as a teenager, with her father, Steve, making comments that later sparked major backlash online.
Mackenzie, who killed two men after intentionally crashing her car into a brick wall, was convicted of murder three years ago.
During an interview featured in the documentary, her father Steve said about his daughter’s cannabis use: “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.”
The comment quickly drew criticism on social media, with many people accusing him of being too relaxed about drug use.
After the controversy erupted, Steve spoke to TMZ and claimed his comments had been misunderstood and taken completely out of context.
He explained: “That is part of a longer answer... I can't remember what the question was because the documentary people had interviewed us for two days straight and then came back and did more interviews so there was a lot of questions answered.”
He insisted his comments were never meant as an endorsement of marijuana, saying: “My answer wasn't in support of marijuana, it wasn't saying, I'm smoking marijuana. What I was saying was, who am I to say who can smoke and who can't smoke. I never allowed my daughter to smoke marijuana.”
Steve also defended himself against criticism that he should have done more to stop his daughter, adding: “How was I stopping her, I couldn't lock her up in a room, I'm not quite sure where there's a problem with what I said. It was never, 'hey, everyone go and smoke marijuana'.”
Questioning why the documentary had even included the clip, he continued: “I don't understand why the documentary felt the need to put that in there. I don't know what the relevance was to my daughter and this accident she was in.”
Steve further said he had no idea Mackenzie had allegedly been smoking inside the car. “I'm not with my daughter all the time, all I can do is tell my daughter, don't do it,” he explained. “I told her many times, I had no idea she was smoking in the car like that, that was new to me.”
He added: “I couldn't stop her, am I supposed to lock her up in a room? I had no idea she was driving and smoking... if I'd known I would have had a huge issue about it. I didn't know, I don't know what else to tell you.”
According to Cleveland 19 News, students and parents at Mary Queen of Peace School were informed about the art and digital media teacher’s leave of absence through an email that stated: “We are investigating allegations made on social media that one of our teachers has demonstrated poor judgement.”
The school reportedly said the teacher had been placed on administrative leave “upon learning of the allegation” while the investigation remained active. Administrators also reassured families that “the safety, wellbeing, and trust of students” continued to be their highest priority.
The statement also noted the school was “limited” in what it could publicly share “during an active personnel investigation,” but promised additional updates when possible.
In a separate statement shared with 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 school added: “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.”
