Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit brought by Larry Bushart, who was jailed for more than a month over Facebook posts about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped a felony charge in October. During his detention, he lost a post-retirement job and missed family milestones, including a wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter. Bushart filed suit in December against Perry County, its sheriff, and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant. The settlement follows his arrest in September after he refused to remove Facebook memes that joked about Kirk’s killing.
"Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 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. While many people across the US lost their jobs over social media comments about Kirk's death, Larry Bushart's case stood out as a rare instance in which such online speech led to criminal prosecution. The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October."
"During his time in jail, Bushart lost his post-retirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, according to a federal lawsuit Bushart filed in December against Tennessee's Perry county, its sheriff and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant. I am pleased my first amendment rights [to free speech] have been vindicated, Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement on Wednesday. The people's freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family."
"Bushart was arrested in September after he refused to take down Facebook memes that joked about Kirk's killing, which had prompted an outpouring of grief among conservatives, including in Perry county. The Perry county, near Bushart's home, held a candlelight vigil. The meme Bushart posted that prompted his arrest read This seems relevant today and featured Donald Trump and the words: We have to get over it. That quote, the meme explained, came from the president, who said it in 2024 after a shooting at a high school in Perry, Iowa."
"The Perry county sheriff, Nick Weems, told news outlets that most of Bushart's hate memes were lawful free speech. But residents were alarmed by the school shooting post, fearing Bushart was threate"
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