Summary:
-
A man jailed for Facebook memes about Charlie Kirk gets $835,000 settlement after felony charge dropped.
-
Meme featuring Trump led to arrest for threatening mass violence against Tennessee school.
-
Bushart’s incarceration caused job loss, missed family events. Settlement is among largest linked to Kirk’s killing.
A Tennessee man who spent 37 days in jail after refusing to take down Facebook memes about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has secured an $835,000 settlement, his attorneys announced Wednesday.
Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired law enforcement officer, was arrested in September by the Perry County Sheriff’s Office and charged with threatening mass violence. The felony charge was dropped in October, but Bushart remained behind bars for more than a month because he could not pay the $2 million bond.
The meme that triggered the arrest featured an image of President Donald Trump alongside the quote “We have to get over it,” referencing remarks Trump made after a 2025 school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa. Bushart captioned the post, “This seems relevant today…”
Authorities argued the meme could be interpreted as a threat against Perry County High School in Linden, Tennessee. Sheriff Nick Weems acknowledged he knew the meme referenced the Iowa shooting but said investigators believed Bushart “intentionally sought to create hysteria within the community.”
During his incarceration, Bushart lost his post-retirement job and missed both his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, according to the federal lawsuit filed in December against Perry County, its sheriff and the investigator who obtained the warrant.
“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.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Bushart’s case stood out as a rare instance in which online commentary about Kirk’s death resulted in criminal prosecution, though many Americans faced job losses and other professional consequences over similar posts.
The settlement is among the largest tied to legal fallout from public reactions to Kirk’s killing.
Perry County Mayor John Carroll did not immediately respond to media requests for comment.
