Sheehan crashed into Yeovil's Lee Peltier provoking a melee involving just about every outfield player and referee Keith Stroud immediately produced a red card.
Sheehan had no sympathy from his manager Gary McAllister, who said: "He had to go. In this day and age you can't go in with high two-footed tackles like that."
Yeovil boss Russell Slade also had a moan. His night was marred by the fourth-minute goal that won the game, saying: "It wasn't a goal. There was a handball but the referee didn't see it."
Neil Kilkenny crossed from the right to set up that early strike. He picked out Bradley Johnson at the far post.
Johnson's shot was parried by Steve Mildenhall but in the scramble that followed the experienced Dougie Freedman got the ball over the line.
Although Leeds will now prepare for the play-offs, whether they will take their place in them remains unclear because of their appeal against the 15 point deduction that was imposed on them at the start of the season as they were in administration.