A retired police officer in Tennessee has secured an $835,000 settlement from county officials who jailed him for 37 days after he posted a meme making light of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
Details of the Case
Larry Bushart, 61, of Lexington, Tennessee, made the Facebook post ten days after a gunman fatally shot Kirk at Utah Valley University. The federal lawsuit, filed in December against Perry County, also named Sheriff Nick Weems and investigator Jason Morrow as defendants, alleging violations of Bushart's First Amendment rights.
In a statement announcing the settlement, Bushart said: 'I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated. The people's freedom to participate in civil discourse is crucial to a healthy democracy.' He expressed relief at moving on to spend time with his family.
Legal Representation and Reaction
Cary Davis, an attorney for the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, which helped represent Bushart, celebrated the outcome. 'It’s in times of turmoil and heightened tensions that our national commitment to free speech is tested the most,' Davis said. 'When government officials fail that test, the Constitution exists to hold them accountable. Our hope is that Larry’s settlement sends a message to law enforcement across the country: Respect the First Amendment today, or be prepared to pay the price tomorrow.'
The defendants did not admit wrongdoing as part of the settlement reached with the sheriff's office and county government.
Background of the Incident
In September 2025, Bushart shared a meme under a Facebook post promoting a candlelight vigil for Kirk in his area. The meme quoted President Donald Trump, who said 'we have to get over it' after a January 2024 shooting at Perry High School in Perry, Iowa, that killed a sixth-grader. The meme included the text 'This seems relevant today.' Bushart's suit noted he did not create the meme or add the text.
Officials claimed some residents interpreted the post as a threat against Perry County High School, a similarly named but separate school in Tennessee. The day after the post, the Perry County Sheriff's Department sent a Lexington police officer to Bushart's home. After he refused to remove the post, he was arrested later that night at Sheriff Weems' direction.
Bushart was charged with reckless threat of mass violence on school property, a felony. Body camera footage obtained by The Intercept showed an officer reading the charge to a handcuffed Bushart as he was led into jail. Bushart later said he missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter while incarcerated.
Key Admission Led to Release
In a late October interview, Sheriff Weems admitted investigators knew Bushart's post referred to the Iowa school, not Perry County High School. 'We knew,' the sheriff said. 'The public did not know.' This admission directly led to prosecutors dropping the charge the next day, and Bushart was released. However, he had remained in jail for over a month because he could not afford the $2 million bond.
Bushart's lawsuit alleged Weems was biased against him, noting Weems had promoted the Kirk vigil and shared posts condemning Kirk's murder. Weems had written: 'Evil could be standing right beside you in the grocery store. It could be your own family member and you never even know it.'
The settlement concludes the legal battle, with Bushart now free to move forward after a prolonged ordeal that cost him his post-retirement job and time with family.
