May 20, 2026 / 11:57 AM EDT
/ CBS/AP
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Tennessee officials will pay $835,000 to settle a lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for more than a month over a Facebook post he made about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.While many people across the U.S. lost their jobs or faced other consequences over social media comments about Kirk's death, Larry Bushart's case stood out as a rare instance in which such online speech led to criminal prosecution. The 61-year-old retired police officer spent 37 days behind bars before authorities dropped the felony charge against him in October.During his time in jail, Bushart lost his postretirement job and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter, according to a federal lawsuit Bushart filed in December against Perry County, its sheriff and the investigator who obtained the arrest warrant."I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated," Bushart said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday. "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 was arrested in September after he refused to take down Facebook memes that joked about Kirk's killing, which had prompted an outpouring of grief among conservatives, including in Perry County, which is near Bushart's home and which held a candlelight vigil. The meme that prompted Bushart's arrest featured an image of President Trump, overlayed by the quote "We have to get over it." Below it, the meme explained that Mr. Trump said that quote "one day after" a shooting at Perry High School.Alongside the meme, Bushart posted the caption: "This seems relevant today..."
