Summary (tl;dr)

A retired Tennessee police officer, Larry Bushart, has received an $835,000 settlement after being jailed for 37 days over a Facebook meme he posted referencing the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. His federal civil rights lawsuit alleged violations of his First Amendment rights.

Essential Background

In September 2025, following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, local communities across the U.S. held vigils and discussions. Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired law enforcement officer, posted a meme in a local Facebook group that was discussing a vigil for Kirk. The meme featured a quote from then-President Donald Trump, "We have to get over it," which Trump had said in 2024 after a school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa, with Bushart adding "This seems relevant today..."

The Full Story

Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems and an investigator, Jason Morrow, claimed that residents might misinterpret Bushart's post as a threat to the local Perry County High School in Linden, Tennessee, despite Weems acknowledging he knew the meme referred to the Iowa incident. Consequently, Bushart was arrested in September 2025 for "threatening mass violence at a school," a Class E felony, and held on a $2 million bond. He spent 37 days in jail, during which he lost his post-retirement job and missed significant family events. The felony charge was eventually dropped in October 2025. On May 20, 2026, it was announced that Tennessee officials, including Perry County, agreed to pay Bushart an $835,000 settlement to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit he had filed, asserting his First Amendment rights had been violated.

Why It Matters

This case highlights critical issues surrounding free speech, particularly online, and the potential for government overreach in interpreting digital commentary. Legal experts and free speech advocates, like the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) who assisted Bushart, argue that jailing individuals for political memes tests national commitments to free speech, especially during times of heightened tension. The significant settlement serves as a warning to law enforcement about the financial and constitutional consequences of misinterpreting protected online expression as criminal threats.

Geographic Location

• Lexington, Henderson County, Tennessee, United States (arrest of Larry Bushart)
• Perry County, Tennessee, United States (location of sheriff's office that initiated arrest and target of federal lawsuit)
• U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee, United States (federal civil rights lawsuit filed and settled)