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U.S. states paying to compensate people fired, jailed for negative Charlie Kirk posts
The retired officer spent 37 days in jail after sharing a meme, and the county said the settlement resolves his First Amendment lawsuit.
- Perry County, Tennessee, agreed to pay retired police officer Larry Bushart $835,000 to resolve a federal civil rights lawsuit alleging retaliation for protected speech.
- Sheriff Nick Weems and Investigator Jason Morrow obtained an arrest warrant alleging Bushart threatened Perry County High School, despite knowing the Facebook meme referenced an actual 2024 shooting in Iowa, over 500 miles away.
- Bushart spent 37 days behind bars on a $2 million bond, losing his post-retirement job while authorities omitted crucial context from the warrant application.
- "I am pleased my First Amendment rights have been vindicated," said Bushart, who was represented by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
- The settlement reflects a broader pattern of state official overreach, mirroring Florida's recent nearly half-million dollar agreement with biologist Brittney Brown, fired for sharing a controversial meme.
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11 Articles
Jailed 37 days for a Charlie Kirk meme: Tennessee man’s settlement exposes the fraud of Trump’s “Anti-Weaponization” Fund
Larry Bushart was awarded $835,000 after being jailed for sharing a Facebook meme critical of Charlie Kirk. His case exposes the severe limitations being placed on “free speech” in America.
·United States
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$835K settlement for man jailed after posting Trump’s Iowa school shooting quote, following Charlie Kirk’s death
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 after the assassination of podcaster Charlie Kirk. While many people across the U.S. lost their jobs 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 be…
Coverage Details
Total News Sources11
Leaning Left4Leaning Right2Center3Last UpdatedBias Distribution45% Left
Bias Distribution
- 45% of the sources lean Left
45% Left
L 45%
C 33%
R 22%
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