A man who was arrested after posting a meme about President Trump was interpreted as a threat to shoot at a school, has been awarded a 100 million yen settlement.
A man living in Tennessee was arrested after posting a meme on Facebook that quoted a statement by President Donald Trump. The meme was based on a statement that referenced a past mass shooting, leading to the man being accused of 'predicting a mass shooting.' The man filed a federal civil lawsuit against the sheriff, investigators, and Perry County, Tennessee, claiming his constitutional right to freedom of speech was violated. He was later awarded $835,000 in settlement money in exchange for dropping the lawsuit.
VICTORY! Tennessee man jailed 37 days for Trump meme wins $835,000 settlement after First Amendment lawsuit | The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression
Tennessee man jailed over Charlie Kirk post wins $835,000 settlement | Tennessee | The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/may/20/settlement-man-jailed-charlie-kirk-post
In September 2025, the ' Charlie Kirk shooting ' occurred, in which a conservative American political activist was shot and killed. Kirk's death was announced on President Trump's social media, and President Trump announced that he would award Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom and paid tribute to him. On September 21, 2025, a memorial service was held, attended by President Trump, key cabinet members, Elon Musk, and tens of thousands of people.
A memorial gathering has been called for in Perry County, Tennessee, and in response, Larry Bouchart, a resident of Lexington, Tennessee, posted a meme on Facebook based on a statement made by President Trump. The image below is a clip of President Trump saying, 'We have to get over it,' after the Perry High School shooting in Perry, Iowa, in January 2024. The statement was criticized as being too cold a response to the mass shooting and became a meme online, meaning 'a cold response to a serious incident.' Along with the meme image, Bouchart posted, 'This seems to apply to today as well,' and appears to be expressing a critical opinion of the memorial gathering.
The image posted by Mr. Bouchart was an unedited reproduction of a meme image often used online, and it included the phrase 'Perry High School shooting.' However, this did not refer to the incident that occurred in Perry, Iowa, and Tennessee Sheriff Nick Weems indicted Mr. Bouchart, arguing that it 'could be interpreted as foreshadowing a school shooting in Perry County, Tennessee.'
According to Sheriff Weems, he knew at the time of the arrest that Bushart's post was a meme referring to the Perry High School shooting in Iowa. However, he decided to arrest Bushart because he refused to delete the post, arguing that some residents of Perry County, Tennessee, where Bushart lives, could interpret the phrase 'Perry High School shooting' as referring to a 'fictional incident' and that it had caused fear in the area.
Bushart was detained for 37 days before being released by authorities facing public criticism because he was unable to pay the $2 million bail set by the local judge. Bushart, who was 61 at the time of his arrest, said he lost his job during his detention and was unable to be present for his wedding anniversary or the birth of his grandchild.
In December 2025, Bouchart, represented by
As a result, both parties announced that they had agreed that Bhuchart would receive $835,000 (approximately 130 million yen) in exchange for dropping the lawsuit. Bhuchart said, 'I am pleased that my First Amendment rights have been recognized. The right of citizens to freely exchange opinions is essential for a healthy democracy. I am now starting a new life and looking forward to spending time with my family.'
Adam Steinbow, senior attorney at FIRE, commented, 'No one should be taken to jail in the middle of the night for a harmless meme just because the authorities don't agree with the message. We are pleased that Mr. Bushart has been compensated for this injustice, but local law enforcement should never have subjected him to such treatment in the first place.'
The Charlie Kirk shooting has sparked various controversies, including political ones, and a Reuters investigation revealed that in the two months following the incident, more than 600 people were fired, suspended, or investigated for their social media comments regarding the Charlie Kirk shooting. Bouchart's case is noteworthy as a rare instance that has led to criminal prosecution, and FIRE attorney Carrie Davis said, 'We hope this settlement sends a message to law enforcement agencies across the country: either you respect the First Amendment today, or you are prepared to pay the price tomorrow.'
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