Tennessee Officials Pay $835,000 to Settle Lawsuit Over Facebook Meme Arrest

Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a retired police officer who spent 37 days in jail over a Facebook meme. Larry Bushart, 61, was arrested in September after posting a meme that quoted President Donald Trump saying “We have to get over it” following a 2025 school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa.

” on a thread about a vigil for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Perry County, Tennessee.

Nick Weems said residents feared the post threatened Perry County High School in Linden, even though he knew the meme referred to the Iowa school. Investigators believed Bushart intended to create hysteria, according to a statement Weems gave to The Tennessean last year. Authorities set Bushart’s bail at $2 million. He remained in custody until the felony charge was dropped in October.

Bushart filed suit in December against Perry County, the sheriff, and the investigator who obtained the warrant. The settlement was announced Wednesday.

““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. ””

Bushart lost his post-retirement job and missed the birth of his granddaughter while jailed. His legal team at the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression said the payment compensates him for the ordeal but does not restore the time lost.

““It’s in times of turmoil and heightened tensions that our national commitment to free speech is tested the most. ””

The case drew national attention as one of the few instances in which online comments about Kirk’s death led to criminal prosecution rather than employment consequences.