Tennessee sheriff pays $835,000 after jailing man for Facebook meme
The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression confirms the retired police officer’s lawsuit was dismissed in exchange for the payout, marking a rare victory against local censorship attempts.
Larry Bushart, a retired police officer from Tennessee, has secured an $835,000 settlement after being jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post. The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE) confirmed on Wednesday that Bushart agreed to dismiss his lawsuit against Perry County and its sheriff in exchange for the substantial financial resolution.
Bushart was arrested after sharing a pre-existing meme on a Facebook thread promoting a vigil for Charlie Kirk in Perry County. The post quoted Donald Trump’s comments following a school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa. Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems issued an arrest warrant, arguing the meme constituted a threat of violence against a local high school, despite the post explicitly referencing an institution in a different state more than 500 miles away.
The detention had significant personal and financial consequences for Bushart. Unable to pay a $2 million bond, he remained incarcerated for over a month, missing the birth of his grandchild. He also lost his post-retirement employment during the ordeal. The settlement is intended to help Bushart and his wife secure a comfortable retirement, though it does not compensate for the personal losses incurred during his detention.
Video footage from the arrest reveals confusion among law enforcement regarding the charges. In one exchange, a jail officer admitted to Bushart that he had no understanding of the basis for the arrest but felt compelled to follow procedure. Sheriff Weems later acknowledged that he knew the meme referred to an event in another state at the time of the arrest but proceeded with the warrant anyway.
FIRE stated that the arrest violated Bushart’s First Amendment rights and served as retaliation for protected speech. The organisation highlighted that Bushart is one of 600 individuals identified by Reuters who faced punishment for controversial online statements regarding Charlie Kirk’s death. FIRE staff attorney Cary Davis noted that the settlement sends a clear message to law enforcement agencies to respect constitutional rights.
