A Tennessee man who spent more than a month in jail for a Facebook post about the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk will be awarded $835,000 after settling a lawsuit against local officials.Larry Bushart, 61, a retired police officer, was sentenced to 37 days in jail after prosecutors dropped felony charges related to a social media meme he posted after Kirk’s death.Tennessee officials will now pay $835,000 to resolve Bouchard’s federal lawsuit against Perry County, the local sheriff and an investigator involved in obtaining the warrant.Bouchard said the time spent in custody can have personal and financial consequences. He lost his retirement job, missed his wedding anniversary and the birth of his granddaughter while in prison.“I am pleased that my First Amendment rights have been vindicated,” Bushard said in a statement announcing the settlement Wednesday.He added: “People’s freedom to engage in civil discourse is vital to a healthy democracy. I look forward to moving forward and spending time with my family.”Bushard was arrested in September for refusing to remove a Facebook meme mentioning Kirk’s murder, prompting condolences from supporters of conservative activist MAGA. Authorities said the posts caused concern among the local community.One meme shared by Bouchard featured a photo of President Donald Trump with the words “We’ve got to get over this” next to it. The image references Trump’s 2024 comments following the Iowa school shooting. The meme explained that the quote was posted “one day after” the incident.Bouchard added: “This is important today…”The controversy escalated after some residents misunderstood the post as a possible threat to a local Tennessee school of the same name. Police later confirmed the meme was referring to the Iowa school shooting, not the Tennessee school.Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems said at the time that most of Bouchard’s posts were protected speech, but the specific meme caused alarm in the community.“Investigators believe Bushart was fully aware that his posts would cause fear and intentionally created hysteria in the community,” Weems said in a statement to The Tennessean last year.Bouchard was initially released on $2 million bail as the case drew scrutiny of free speech protections.Charlie Kirk was assassinated on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, during a public event when a gunman using a sniper fired a single shot from a rooftop approximately 140 meters away, killing him. His wife, Erica Kirk, later made emotional public remarks, and Turning Point USA continued to operate after his death.
