Perry County Tennessee Pays $835,000 After Jailing Retired Officer Over a Facebook Meme What It Means for Free Speech

Tennessee will pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a retired police officer who was jailed over Facebook posts about conservative activist Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Larry Bushart spent 37 days in jail after Perry County authorities charged him with making a threat tied to memes he shared following Kirk’s death. Prosecutors later dropped the felony charge, and Bushart sued the county, sheriff, and investigator involved in his arrest. The settlement was announced on May 20, 2026, and closes one of the most closely watched free speech cases in the country since Kirk’s killing.

Bushart v. Perry County — Quick Facts

Field	Detail
Settlement Announced	May 20, 2026
Settlement Amount	$835,000
Plaintiff	Larry Bushart, 61, retired police officer, Lexington, Tennessee
Defendants	Perry County, Tennessee; Sheriff Nick Weems; Investigator Jason Morrow
Alleged Violation	First Amendment (free speech); Fourth Amendment (unlawful seizure)
Charge Filed Against Bushart	Threatening mass violence at a school (felony — later dropped)
Days Jailed	37 days
Bond Amount	$2,000,000
Court	U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee
Plaintiff’s Attorneys	Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE); Phillips & Phillips, PLLC
Case Status	Settled — complaint dismissed
Last Updated	May 21, 2026

What Is the Bushart v. Perry County Lawsuit About?

In September 2025, Charlie Kirk — conservative activist and Turning Point USA co-founder — was assassinated at a Utah university. The killing sparked intense reaction across the country, including in Perry County, Tennessee, where a candlelight vigil was held. In the days after Kirk’s death, Larry Bushart — a 34-year law enforcement veteran and 24-year National Guard member — posted a meme on Facebook.

The meme Bushart posted read: “This seems relevant today…” and featured President Donald Trump and the words, “We have to get over it.” Bushart did not create or alter the meme. He shared it. The next day, local police came to his home.

Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems was claiming residents might interpret the meme as a threat of future violence on Perry County High School. Hours later, after 11 p.m., Perry County issued an arrest warrant and police returned to take Bushart into custody on a charge of “threatening mass violence at a school.” The redacted warrant application showed that critical context — that the meme’s reference point was an Iowa school, not a Tennessee one — had been omitted entirely.

Larry remained in jail for 37 days on an astonishing $2 million bond. While locked up, Larry lost his post-retirement job performing medical transportation and missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter. Perry County released him from jail only after his plight went viral nationwide and prompted outrage. The district attorney dropped all charges in October 2025.

Bushart filed a federal civil rights lawsuit in December 2025. His case drew national attention as one of the starkest examples of government overreach in political speech following Kirk’s death. It is not a class action — this is an individual free legal claim brought on behalf of one man whose constitutional rights the court was asked to vindicate. For readers interested in how First Amendment protections apply to everyday Americans, our Home Depot AI Surveillance Lawsuit covers another front where private and government actors are clashing over surveillance and civil liberties.

What Did the Lawsuit Allege Against Perry County and Sheriff Weems?

The lawsuit named Sheriff Weems personally, Investigator Jason Morrow who helped obtain the warrant, and Perry County itself. It alleged violations of Bushart’s First Amendment right to free speech and his Fourth Amendment right against unlawful seizure.

The lawsuit stated that Weems and Morrow “understood Mr. Bushart’s post as political commentary on the debate about guns in America, but orchestrated his arrest anyway, flouting the long-entrenched First Amendment protection for even the most provocative, hyperbolic political speech.”

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The lawsuit also took aim at what FIRE called a deliberately misleading warrant. Perry County and Weems also failed to respond to multiple public records requests seeking evidence of the “mass hysteria” Weems cited to justify the arrest, according to FIRE’s filings. Perry County schools, for their part, had no records of any complaints about Bushart’s post.

Because FIRE argued Weems and Morrow acted with full knowledge that their conduct was unconstitutional, both were sued in their personal capacities, meaning they would be on the hook for monetary damages. Suing government officials personally — rather than just the county — is a high-stakes legal move that signals the plaintiff’s attorneys believed the misconduct was deliberate, not negligent.

What Should You Take Away From This Settlement?

This is not a case where you can file a claim or join a class. The $835,000 goes to Larry Bushart personally in exchange for dismissing his complaint. But the implications of this settlement reach well beyond Perry County.

FIRE noted that hundreds of Americans were censored for online speech following Kirk’s assassination. Monica Meeks, a lifelong public servant, was fired by the state of Tennessee for a Facebook post criticizing Kirk. And earlier this year, Austin Peay State University settled a lawsuit filed by a professor fired for citing Kirk’s own words on gun violence. Bushart’s case was the first to result in a criminal arrest — and now the first to result in a six-figure compensation for damages payout from a government defendant.

If you believe you were fired, arrested, or punished by a government employer or government official for protected speech online, you may have a viable First Amendment claim of your own. This settlement demonstrates that courts take these claims seriously, and that officials who retaliate against lawful speech can be held personally accountable. A consumer rights lawyer or civil rights attorney can evaluate whether your situation parallels what Bushart experienced.

Bushart v. Perry County — Case Timeline

Milestone	Date
Charlie Kirk assassinated	September 2025
Bushart posts meme on Facebook	September 2025
Sheriff Weems orders arrest; felony charge filed	September 2025
Bushart jailed on $2 million bond	September 2025
Case goes viral; public outrage prompts release	October 2025
District attorney drops all charges	October 29, 2025
Bushart files federal civil rights lawsuit	December 2025
Settlement announced	May 20, 2026
Complaint dismissed	May 20, 2026

Frequently Asked Questions — Bushart v. Perry County Settlement

Is there a class action lawsuit related to the Larry Bushart First Amendment case?

No. This was an individual civil rights lawsuit filed by one plaintiff — Larry Bushart — against Perry County, Sheriff Nick Weems, and Investigator Jason Morrow. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Tennessee. It settled for $835,000 and is now closed. The settlement applies only to Bushart.

Can I join this lawsuit or file a similar claim if I was punished for speech after Charlie Kirk’s death?

You cannot join Bushart’s case — it has settled. But if a government official or government employer took adverse action against you for protected speech, you may have your own First Amendment claim. Consult a civil rights attorney or reach out to the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression at fire.org, which represented Bushart and handles free speech cases at no cost to plaintiffs.

Did Perry County admit wrongdoing in the settlement?

No. The parties announced the settlement in a joint statement. Government defendants in civil rights settlements routinely deny liability as a condition of settlement. What matters legally is that Perry County agreed to pay $835,000 — a significant sum for a rural Tennessee county — rather than defend the arrest at trial.

Was the meme Bushart posted actually a threat?

Sheriff Weems told news outlets that the meme did not actually lead investigators to believe there was a real threat. He stated that the case hinged on how some people could potentially interpret it as a threat to a local school. The Supreme Court has long held that heated political rhetoric is protected by the First Amendment. The felony charge was dropped entirely before trial.

What does the First Amendment actually protect when it comes to social media posts?

The First Amendment prohibits the government — including law enforcement — from arresting, charging, or punishing people for speech that does not constitute a true threat. A “true threat” requires specific, credible intent to commit violence against identifiable targets. FIRE argued Weems and Morrow understood Bushart’s post as political commentary but orchestrated his arrest anyway. That is the conduct this settlement holds accountable.

How much of the $835,000 does Bushart actually keep?

The settlement agreement’s fee arrangement is not publicly disclosed. Typically, civil rights attorneys working on contingency take 30–40% of the recovery. FIRE, as a nonprofit, may have a different arrangement. Bushart has not disclosed the net amount he receives after legal fees.

Sources & References

1. Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE): Larry Bushart v. Perry County case page — fire.org/cases/larry-bushart-v-perry-county
2. FIRE press release: Victory announcement, May 20, 2026 — fire.org
3. Associated Press via ABC News: Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement (May 20, 2026)
4. CBS News: Retired police officer jailed for 37 days over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement (May 20, 2026)
5. WKRN Nashville: Former TN officer jailed over Charlie Kirk meme awarded settlement (May 20, 2026)

Prepared by the AllAboutLawyer.com Editorial Team and reviewed for factual accuracy against FIRE case documentation and Associated Press reporting on May 21, 2026. Last Updated: May 21, 2026

Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Legal claims and outcomes depend on specific facts and applicable law. For advice regarding a particular situation, consult a qualified attorney.