Tennessee man jailed for Charlie Kirk meme wins $835,000 settlement

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A man from Tennessee received an $835,000 settlement after successfully suing over his First Amendment rights. He had been jailed for 37 days because of a post he made on Facebook about Charlie Kirk.

Okay, so this is pretty wild. A retired cop, Larry Bushart, got arrested last September just for sharing some memes on Facebook – they were about someone trying to harm Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist. He sued the county, the sheriff, and the investigator who got the warrant, claiming it was a violation of his rights. Now, the county just agreed to pay him over $835,000 to settle the case. Honestly, it’s crazy to me that sharing a meme could lead to all that, and now a huge payout!

The case of Bushart gained national attention because, although many people across the country reportedly faced job losses due to social media posts about Kirk’s death, he was one of the few whose online comments led to criminal charges. Those felony charges were later dropped in October.

Larry Bushart, arrested in September 2025, over Charlie Kirk memes

Man jailed over Charlie Kirk meme reaches settlement

Bushart was arrested after sharing a post online that featured President Trump and the phrase “We have to get over it.” This phrase came from a statement Trump made in 2024 following a school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa. The post also included the caption, “This seems relevant today…” according to the Associated Press.

I remember reading that Sheriff Weems said most of Bushart’s stuff was protected speech, but people got really worried when he mentioned a school shooting. Apparently, there’s a Perry County High School in Tennessee and folks immediately thought of that. It was a bit confusing though, because Sheriff Weems also admitted he knew the post was actually about a shooting that happened at a school in Iowa.

According to investigators, Bushart understood his social media post would frighten people and deliberately tried to cause panic in the community, Weems stated last year.

Bushart was released after 37 days in jail when the charges against him were dropped. He sued, claiming his wrongful arrest cost him his retirement job and caused him to miss important family events – his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter.

Bushart expressed relief that his First Amendment rights had been affirmed, stating, “Protecting people’s ability to openly discuss important issues is essential for a strong democracy.” He added that he was eager to put the matter behind him and focus on his family.

The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), the group that assisted Bushart in his case, said the settlement should serve as a caution to police departments regarding arrests made in connection with legally protected speech.

According to FIRE attorney Cary Davis, our dedication to free speech is most challenged during times of conflict and increased stress.

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2026-05-20 18:49