Tennessee officials agree to $835,000 settlement with man jailed over Charlie Kirk Facebook post
The Facts
- Tennessee officials agreed to pay Larry Bushart $835,000 to settle his lawsuit over his arrest and jailing related to a Facebook post about Charlie Kirk.
- Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer or law enforcement officer, spent 37 days in jail before the felony charge against him was dropped in October.
- Bushart was arrested in September after sharing Facebook memes or a meme tied to Charlie Kirk's assassination, and authorities said the post was threatening or could be interpreted as a threat connected to a local school.
- Bushart filed a federal lawsuit in December against Perry County, its sheriff, and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant.
- During his time in jail, Bushart said he lost his post-retirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter.
- Multiple reports described Bushart's case as unusual because online comments about Kirk's death more often led to job or other consequences rather than criminal prosecution.
- The settlement resolves Bushart's civil case, but the reporting provided does not indicate any court ruling on whether officials violated his constitutional rights.
How left and right are reading this
- Both agree
- An arrest over a Facebook post led to 37 days in jail, a dropped felony charge, and an $835,000 settlement — an unusually severe response to online speech that carried real personal and legal consequences.
- They split on
- Less a disagreement than a question of emphasis: the human cost and unusual severity of jailing someone over a meme, versus the unresolved legal question because the settlement came without any court ruling on constitutional violations.
Analytical frames for this storyTap to explore
Context
Why was Bushart arrested?
Reports say Bushart was arrested after posting a Facebook meme or memes about Charlie Kirk's assassination that authorities interpreted as threatening, including concern that one post could be read as referring to Perry County High School rather than an Iowa school shooting Daily Beast,Independent,Mediaite.
Who was sued in the case?
Bushart's federal lawsuit named Perry County, Sheriff Nick Weems, and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant TimesNow,U.S. News & World R…,Independent.
What makes this case notable beyond the settlement amount?
Several outlets said the case stood out because, although many people faced workplace or other fallout for online comments about Kirk's death, Bushart's case was a rare example in which such speech led to criminal prosecution U.S. News & World R…,Guardian,PBS.org.
View all 70 sources
Independent coverage (50)
News9liveTennessee man jailed 37 days over Facebook meme mocking Char...
UNILADMan jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement
ABC 4Utah professor explains legality of settlement granted to Te...
Sentinel ColoradoRetired cop's free speech vindicated, $835K settlement with ...
BreitbartMan Jailed for Anti-Charlie Kirk Posts Receives Over $800K S...
Internewscast JournalTennessee Man Wins $850K Settlement After 37-Day Jail Time f...
Boing BoingTennessee man jailed 37 days for a Trump meme wins $835,000
Fox NewsTennessee man jailed 37 days over Facebook meme mocking Char...
BBCTennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post settles lawsuit ...
100 Percent Fed UpMan Imprisoned Over A Month For Meme Related To Charlie Kirk...
Baller AlertTennessee Man Jailed Over Charlie Kirk Meme Wins $835K Settl...
LGBTQ NationPolice imprisoned him for posting a meme of Trump. Now taxpa...
Above the LawMan Arrested For Charlie Kirk Post Wins 6 Figure Settlement ...
People.comRetired Police Officer Jailed Over Charlie Kirk Assassinatio...
The Times of IndiaTennessee man jailed for 37 days over Charlie Kirk meme to r...
Mail OnlineMan jailed over Charlie Kirk meme post gets six-figure payou...
The Boston GlobeHe was jailed in Tennessee over a Charlie Kirk post. The she...
The GuardianTennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 se...
Muvi Television Homepage - Latest Local News, Sports News, Business News & EntertainmentTennessee officials will pay $835,000 for jailing man over C...
Straight Arrow NewsTennessee officials will pay $835,000 for jailing man over C...
GV WireHe Was Jailed Over a Charlie Kirk Post. The Sheriff Now Owes...
We Got This CoveredEx-Tennessee cop, jailed over anti-Charlie Kirk meme, proves...
WebProNewsTennessee Sheriff Jails Retired Cop 37 Days Over Trump Meme,...
TimesNowWho is Larry Bushart? Tennessee Man Awarded $835K After 37 D...
International Business Times UKTennessee Man Jailed Over Charlie Kirk Meme Wins Massive $83...
Washington ExaminerMan jailed over Kirk assassination meme hails victory for Fi...
Curated - BLOX Digital Content ExchangePerry County pays $835k to settle lawsuit after sheriff jail...
Daily VoiceRetired Cop Jailed For Critical Charlie Kirk Post Wins $835K...
Us WeeklyRetired Police Officer Awarded $835,000 After Being Jailed f...
The Manila timesTennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835K settl...
MediaiteMan Jailed for Trump-Roasting Charlie Kirk Meme Wins Huge Se...
Daily JournalAP Trending SummaryBrief at 1:35 p.m. EDT
The New Civil Rights Movement'We Knew' Sheriff Says -- After Man Spent 37 Days in Jail ...
PBS.orgA Tennessee man was jailed over his Charlie Kirk social medi...
ReasonA Tennessee man jailed for 37 days because of an anti-Trump ...
MS NOWMan jailed 37 days for Charlie Kirk social media post wins $...
JezebelMan Jailed 37 Days for Single Trump Meme Wins $835,000 Settl...
The Nerd StashTennessee Charlie Kirk Meme Arrest Sparks Fury as Critics Sa...
YahooFormer cop arrested over Charlie Kirk social media post sett...
UKNIPTennessee Man Awarded £670k After 37 Days Wrongly Jailed Ove...
NewserMan Jailed for 37 Days Over Trump Meme Settles for $835K
GEO TVRetired cop jailed for Charlie Kirk meme wins $835,000 settl...
Economic TimesCharlie Kirk post controversy: Tennessee man bags $835,000 s...
AolRetired officer jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 ...
WSFLMan jailed for 37 days over post on Charlie Kirk's death win...
The HillMan jailed over Charlie Kirk post awarded $835K settlement
NewsweekMan jailed 37 days over Charlie Kirk meme wins $835,000 sett...
The IndependentRetired cop jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 sett...
KOKHTennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 se...
Democratic UndergroundTennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 se...
About these frames
The Advocate: Liberty, speech, privacy, autonomy, rights, consent, choice. What freedoms are at stake.
The Watchdog: Wrongdoing, responsibility, corruption, transparency. Who knew what, when, and what they did about it.
The First Responder: Who gets hurt or helped. Quality of life, vulnerable groups, public health, human cost and benefit.
The Analyst: Costs, jobs, inflation, growth, incentives, markets, tradeoffs. Follow the money.
The Architect: Stability, law, enforcement, institutional design, separation of powers, regulatory process, rule of law. How are order and governance maintained?
The Guardian: Sanctity, degradation, bodily autonomy, moral boundaries, human dignity, bioethics, environmental purity. Where are the lines that should not be crossed?
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