Tennessee to Pay $835,000 Settlement for 37-Day Jail Over Facebook Post

Officials in Tennessee have agreed to pay $835,000 to settle a federal lawsuit filed by a man who was jailed for 37 days over a Facebook post. Larry Bushart, a 61-year-old retired police officer, was arrested last September and held until authorities dropped a felony charge against him in October.

The case stemmed from a meme Bushart posted on Facebook following the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk. The meme featured a photo of former President Donald Trump and the words, "We have to get over it," a quote attributed to Trump following a 2024 school shooting at Perry High School in Iowa. Bushart's post included the caption, "This seems relevant today."

According to the lawsuit Bushart filed in December against Perry County, its sheriff, and an investigator, he was arrested after refusing to remove the meme. Authorities stated that residents, alarmed by the post, feared it was a threat to a local school named Perry County High School, despite officials acknowledging the meme referenced an Iowa school. Sheriff Nick Weems said in a statement last year that investigators believed Bushart was fully aware of the fear his post would cause and intentionally sought to create...