Tennessee officials will pay a six-figure sum to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Retired law enforcement officer Larry Bushart, 61, will receive an $835,000 settlement from Tennessee officials after suing Perry County over what he argued was a clear violation of his First Amendment rights.
The settlement comes after Bushart spent 37 days in jail last fall following his arrest over a Facebook meme shared in the aftermath of Kirk’s killing.
Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA and one of the most prominent conservative activists in the country, was assassinated in September while visiting a Utah college campus. His death sparked an immediate wave of emotional reactions online, including celebrations, condemnations, and intense political fallout.
Some individuals reportedly lost jobs or faced disciplinary action over comments made after Kirk’s death. The Trump administration also took action, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio later revoking visas from foreign nationals who celebrated the assassination online after warning individuals to “prepare to be deported.”
Bushart’s case went significantly further.
According to court filings and reporting from The Tennessean and NewsChannel 5, Bushart shared a meme in a Facebook discussion surrounding a vigil for Kirk. The post featured a quote from Trump saying, “We have to get over it,” a remark made after a school shooting in Iowa, alongside the caption: “This seems relevant today…”
Authorities claimed the post was interpreted as a threat of violence involving a local school.
At the time, Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems defended the arrest.
“Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community,” Weems told The Tennessean.
Bushart was arrested and held on an eye-popping $2 million bond.
But the case began unraveling after NewsChannel 5 investigative reporter Phil Williams questioned officials about the meme’s origins.
During an interview, Weems acknowledged authorities already knew Bushart had shared an existing internet meme and understood it was referring to the Iowa incident rather than a local school.
“We knew,” Weems admitted when asked whether investigators understood the meme was not directed at Perry County High School.
Bushart was released the following day, and charges against him were later dropped entirely.
In his federal lawsuit against Perry County, Sheriff Weems, and investigators, Bushart argued that government officials had jailed him over protected speech.
The ordeal carried personal costs beyond the weeks spent in jail. Bushart said he lost his post-retirement job and missed major family milestones, including his wedding anniversary and the birth of his grandchild.
Under the settlement announced Wednesday, Bushart agreed to dismiss the lawsuit in exchange for the $835,000 payment.
“I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushart said in a statement. “The people’s freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy.”
The New York Times noted that while several people faced professional consequences after Kirk’s assassination, Bushart appeared to be among the only individuals criminally charged over social media posts connected to the killing.
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