Free speech lawsuits have been filed by multiple leftists fired from their jobs after revealing their pro-assassin sentiments in the aftermath of Turning Point USA founder and conservative icon Charlie Kirk’s horrific assassination.
In one of the more intense examples, Larry Bushart — a retired police officer from Tennessee and self-proclaimed leftist “keyboard warrior” — was visited by police after posting memes mocking Republicans for mourning Kirk, according to a report by NPR.
Perry County Sheriff Nick Weems reportedly sent local police to Bushart’s home following a questionable social media post that he said could be interpreted as a threat against a high school in the county.
Bushart’s online conduct involved objecting to a local candlelight vigil he saw on Facebook for the Turning Point USA founder.
The progressive keyboard warrior took to the comment section to post “several memes sharing his displeasure” with what he thought was paying too much attention to Kirk’s murder, according to a case overview published by Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE).
One of the memes posted by Bushart depicted an image of President Donald Trump, alongside the words “We have to get over it,” as well as “This seems relevant today…”
Police arrived at Bushart’s house the following day, with Sheriff Weems saying the keyboard warrior’s meme created “mass hysteria” in the community, as residents may interpret his post as a threat of future violence on a local high school, FIRE said.
Bushart was then arrested and taken to a local jail, where he remained for 37 days on $2 million bond. During that time, Bushart claims he lost his post-retirement job involving medical transportation, missed his wedding anniversary, and the birth of a grandchild.
Prosecutors ended up dropping the charges against Bushart as backlash mounted. Now, the retired progressive is suing, with FIRE as his representation.
“I knew that I’d threatened no one, and the conversation wasn’t even about their local school or community,” Bushart told NPR. “I thought, ‘No, we were having a conversation about Charlie Kirk, his death, and your desire to hold memorial services for him.’”
Notably, while one of Bushart’s “several” memes were described by FIRE and NPR, the sentiments shared in his other online posts remain unclear.
FIRE attorney David Rubin says his organization is aware of at least 13 other lawsuits involving people who were fired over “Kirk-related speech.”
Last month, the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) filed a lawsuit against the Texas Education Agency for asking superintendents to report teachers’ “inappropriate content” shared about Kirk in the wake of his assassination.
The agency reportedly collected 354 complaints, and 95 are still being investigated. The labor union, meanwhile, claims the reporting process has unleashed a “wave of retribution,” NPR reported.
As Breitbart News reported, the world watched in shock and horror as leftists — many of whom worked in schools and hospitals, where they were responsible for the well-being of others more vulnerable than themselves — reacted to Kirk’s horrific on-camera assassination with ghoulish glee, or at the very least, online calls for the public not to care.
For millions around the world, this served as a major mask-off and watershed moment, in which the public was able to see, firsthand, the shocking depravity and degradation of society.
The online celebrations by leftists ultimately resulted in investigations, suspensions, and firings of teachers, medical professionals, and public servants across the United States.
Alana Mastrangelo is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on Facebook and X at @ARmastrangelo, and on Instagram.
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