Tennessee Man Jailed over Charlie Kirk Post Wins $835,000 Settlement
The county’s insurer will pay the settlement after Bushart spent 37 days in jail over a Facebook meme, his lawyers said.
- On Wednesday, Tennessee officials agreed to pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by Larry Bushart, a retired police officer arrested over a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk's assassination.
- Bushart was arrested in September 2025 after sharing a meme about Kirk's killing. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems alleged the post, which featured a President Donald Trump quote from a 2024 Iowa school shooting, was an intentional threat to a local school.
- The meme read, 'This seems relevant today,' paired with Trump's quote, 'We have to get over it,' from an Iowa shooting. Bushart spent 37 days in jail after failing to pay the $2 million bond, losing his job in medical transportation during incarceration.
- Under the settlement, Perry County and Investigator Jason Morrow admit no wrongdoing. FIRE senior attorney Adam Steinbaugh said the deal sends a message: "Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow."
- Another Tennessee First Amendment lawsuit involving Monica Meeks, a former state employee fired after Kirk-related social media posts, remains pending. The settlement underscores ongoing free speech tensions following Kirk's September 2025 assassination.
174 Articles
174 Articles
Retired cop wins $835K from Tennessee county after being jailed for 37 days over Charlie Kirk meme
A retired police officer said he missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter because he was in jail for refusing to take down a meme from Facebook about the death of Charlie Kirk.Larry Bushart, 61, received $835,000 in a settlement on Wednesday after suing Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems over the incident.'Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.' Bushart posted several memes after Kirk w…
Ex-Tennessee Cop Arrested Over Charlie Kirk Meme Settles 'Unlawful Incarceration' Lawsuit For $835,000
Source: Alones Creative / Getty Going to jail for mocking a white supremacist podcaster is crazy work. A former Tennessee police officer who spent more than a month in jail over Facebook memes posted after the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has reached an $835,000 settlement with local officials, according to CNN. The case has become a major flashpoint in the debate over free speech, online speech, and egregious law enforcem…
Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk assassination post settles for $835,000
Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who spent more than a month in jail over a Facebook post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Tennessee Officials Find Out About First Amendment The Hard Way
We’re hearing a lot this week about how the DOJ is going to take over a billion dollars of our tax money and give it to those whose feelings were, like, really hurt when they got in trouble just for doing a little insurrection and maybe pooping on Nancy Pelosi’s desk. So you know what we need? We need a palate cleanser. And, thankfully, the state of Tennessee has deigned to provide us with one. Rejoice!Officials in the state will have to pay 61-…
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