Tennessee Man Secures $850,000 Settlement Over Meme-Induced Arrest
A Tennessee man spent over a month in jail for refusing to remove a Facebook meme mocking the assassination of Charlie Kirk. He has now secured a settlement of $850,000 from officials.
Larry Bushart, 61, a retired police officer, was imprisoned for 37 days under a hefty $2 million bond. Authorities eventually dismissed the felony charge in October. His arrest resulted in losing his post-retirement job and missing significant life events, including his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter.
In a federal lawsuit against Perry County and other officials, Bushart expressed relief at the recognition of his First Amendment rights. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) supported him throughout the legal proceedings.
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 faced legal trouble starting in September after rejecting requests to delete a meme on Facebook that jested about Kirk’s killing during an engagement with students in Utah.
The meme included an image of President Donald Trump with the phrase, “We have to get over it,” accompanied by the caption, “This seems relevant today…” Notably, the quote was attributed to Trump’s 2024 speech after a school shooting in Iowa.
The lawsuit clarified that the arrest warrant stemmed from misunderstanding the meme as a potential threat to a local Tennessee school. Despite this, Bushart never altered or created the meme.
While Sheriff Nick Weems mentioned the meme did not pose a real threat, he emphasized concerns over how the image might be perceived as a danger to Perry County High School.
FIRE’s senior attorney Adam Steinbaugh criticized the arrest and stated, No one should be hauled off to jail in the dark of night over a harmless meme just because the authorities disagree with its message.
The organization highlighted widespread incidents of censorship following Charlie Kirk’s assassination. They are also representing Monica Weeks, who was dismissed after posting remarks critiquing Kirk.