A 61-year-old retired police officer from Tennessee has secured an $835,000 settlement from Perry County after spending more than a month in jail for sharing a meme on Facebook in the wake of Charlie Kirk’s assassination.
Larry Bushart, of Lexington in Henderson County, reached the agreement with county officials, which was announced on May 20, 2026. Bushart had filed a federal civil rights lawsuit claiming his First Amendment rights were violated following his arrest and 37-day detention in September and October 2025.
The incident occurred shortly after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated at an outdoor event in Utah in September 2025. In a Perry County Facebook group discussing a local vigil, Bushart — who described himself as a progressive active in online political discourse — shared a pre-existing meme featuring then-President Donald Trump alongside the quote, “We have to get over it.” He added a caption noting the post seemed relevant at the time.
The meme referenced Trump’s actual comments made one day after a 2024 mass shooting at Perry High School in Iowa. Authorities, however, interpreted the post — in the context of the local discussion and the shared “Perry” reference — as a potential threat of mass violence against Perry County High School in Tennessee.
Bushart was arrested at his home on the night of September 21, 2025, by Lexington police at the request of Perry County. He was charged with a felony count of threatening mass violence at a school and held on a $2 million bond that he could not post. During his incarceration, he missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, lost a post-retirement job in medical transportation, and reported significant emotional and financial strain on his family.
The charge was dropped in late October 2025 after national attention grew. Bushart subsequently sued Perry County, Sheriff Nick Weems, and Investigator Jason Morrow in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. The lawsuit, backed by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) and local counsel, alleged retaliatory arrest in violation of the First Amendment, along with related claims.
The case settled out of court this week, with Perry County agreeing to pay $835,000 in exchange for dismissal of the complaint. No admission of wrongdoing was specified in the settlement.
“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. I am looking forward to moving on and spending time with my family.”
A FIRE attorney described the case as an example of authorities jailing someone over a “harmless meme” due to disagreement with its message, hoping the payout would discourage similar actions elsewhere.
The settlement drew attention as a rare criminal prosecution for online speech in the aftermath of Kirk’s death, when most backlash remained at the level of social or professional consequences. The matter received coverage from major outlets and sparked discussion around free speech protections, the “true threats” doctrine, and law enforcement’s handling of provocative social media posts in tense political climates.
