The Shawn Ryan Show

🚨IMMEDIATE RELEASE🚨 - I Am Being Threatened For Protecting Children...

8 min
Feb 4, 20262 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Host Shawn Ryan responds to legal threats from Canna Cook Ministries, a Christian summer camp in Missouri, after discussing allegations of child sexual abuse and NDAs silencing victims on a previous episode. Ryan refuses to retract statements, apologize, or cease reporting, asserting the core claims are factually accurate and a matter of urgent public concern.

Insights
  • Legal intimidation tactics targeting journalists discussing institutional child abuse may backfire through discovery processes that expose institutional records and leadership knowledge
  • First Amendment protections for truthful reporting on matters of public concern provide strong legal defense against defamation claims when statements are sourced from credible witnesses and public records
  • Confidentiality agreements used to silence abuse survivors represent a systemic barrier to accountability that extends institutional harm beyond initial abuse
  • Institutions continuing operations at sites of documented abuse while using legal threats to suppress reporting raises questions about institutional priorities and victim protection
  • Media coverage of legal threats against journalists reporting on institutional abuse becomes itself newsworthy and amplifies the original allegations
Trends
Increased use of defamation litigation as institutional silencing mechanism against abuse reportingGrowing public scrutiny of confidentiality agreements in institutional abuse settlementsExpansion of survivor advocacy organizations focused on institutional accountability and legislative reformMedia platforms becoming primary channels for abuse allegations when institutional and legal systems fail survivorsStrategic use of discovery processes as accountability mechanism in defamation defense casesRising awareness of continued operations at sites of documented institutional abuseInstitutional reputation management through legal threats versus genuine victim protection measures
Topics
Institutional Child Sexual AbuseConfidentiality Agreements and NDAs in Abuse SettlementsFirst Amendment Protections for JournalistsDefamation Law and Actual Malice StandardChristian Summer Camps and Institutional SafeguardingSurvivor Advocacy and Legislative ReformDiscovery Process in Defamation CasesInstitutional Accountability MechanismsMedia Coverage of Abuse AllegationsLegal Intimidation and Silencing TacticsPublic Records and Abuse DocumentationVictim Rights and Public DisclosureInstitutional Reputation ManagementCriminal Prosecution of Institutional PredatorsSurvivor Support Organizations
Companies
Canna Cook Ministries
Christian summer camp in Missouri facing allegations of child sexual abuse, employee misconduct, and use of NDAs to s...
No More Victims
Organization founded by Elizabeth Phillips focused on passing laws to protect children and hold institutions accounta...
Hush Blackwell
Law firm representing Canna Cook Ministries in defamation demand letter against the host.
People
Shawn Ryan
Podcast host responding to legal threats from Canna Cook Ministries regarding reporting on institutional child sexual...
Elizabeth Phillips
Guest who discussed Canna Cook abuse allegations on previous episode; founder of No More Victims advocacy organization.
Pete Newman
Senior Canna Cook employee and camp director convicted of sexually abusing children; currently serving life sentences.
Congressman Ro Khanna
Guest on episode where Canna Cook allegations were initially discussed with Elizabeth Phillips.
Quotes
"I don't negotiate with pedophiles or the people who defend them. I'm not taking anything down. I'm not apologizing, and I'm damn sure not going to stop talking about child sexual abuse in a Christian camp that continues to operate on the same grounds where horrific abuse took place."
Shawn Ryan
"This isn't about protecting their reputation. This is about protecting children. And I will not be silenced."
Shawn Ryan
"Under Tennessee law, CannaCook will have to prove I'm lying. They'll have to prove actual malice, that I knew my statements were false, or that I had serious doubts about its truth. They can't do that, because I relied on Elizabeth Phillips, whose brother was a victim."
Shawn Ryan
"Sexual abuse at youth camps, especially Christian camps that are supposed to be safe places, is a matter of urgent public concern. Parents have a right to know. Kids have a right to be protected. And survivors have a right to speak."
Shawn Ryan
"This is why I do this show. This is why we tell real stories about real people, because the truth matters, because kids matter, and because some things are more important than money or reputation."
Shawn Ryan
Full Transcript
Starting a business can be overwhelming. You're juggling multiple roles, designer, marketer, logistics manager, all while bringing your vision to life. Shopify helps millions of business sell online. Build fast with templates and AI descriptions and photos, inventory and shipping. Sign up for your one euro per month trial and start selling today at shopify.nl. That's shopify.nl. It's time to see what you can accomplish with Shopify by your side. starting a business can be overwhelming you're juggling multiple roles designer marketer logistics manager all while bringing your vision to life shopify helps millions of business sell online build fast with templates and ai descriptions and photos inventory and shipping sign up for your one euro per month trial and start selling today at shopify.nl that's shopify.nl it's time to see what you can accomplish with Shopify by your side. I need to talk to you about something serious. Last week, I received a demand letter from lawyers representing Canna Cook Ministries, a Christian summer camp in Missouri. They're threatening to sue me for defamation because of something I said on my podcast with Congressman Ro Khanna. Here's what I said. I brought Elizabeth Phillips on my show and she talked about how CannaCook employees have been molesting thousands of kids for years and putting them under NDAs after settlements so they can never come out and talk about their sexual abuse and trauma. CannaCook's lawyers are demanding I take down that portion of the interview issue a public apology and stop talking about this They gave me 10 days That deadline has passed Here my response No I don negotiate with pedophiles or the people who defend them I not taking anything down I'm not apologizing, and I'm damn sure not going to stop talking about child sexual abuse in a Christian camp that continues to operate on the same grounds where horrific abuse took place. Let me be crystal clear about the facts. Facts that Canacook's own lawyers admitted in their letter. One, Pete Newman, a senior Canacook employee and camp director, sexually abused children at Canacook for multiple years in the early 2000s. He's now serving life sentences. Two, between 20 and 30 civil lawsuits were filed against Canna Cook. Three, multiple confidential settlement agreements were executed with victims, NDAs that prevented these kids from speaking publicly about what happened to them. Canna Cook can't prove the number is less than thousands. And given their own admission of a cover-up, the true number is unknowable. But here's what really pisses me the fuck off. Canacook is still operating a camp at the very location where countless children suffered horrific abuse. They're still running programs. They're still bringing kids to the exact same place. And now they want to silence me for talking about it. This isn't about protecting their reputation. This is about protecting children. And I will not be silenced. My attorney has sent Canacook lawyers a response We made it clear If they want to sue me bring it on We welcome discovery We welcome depositions of Kanakook leadership about what they knew, when they knew it, and what they did or didn't do to protect children. We welcome full disclosure of every abuse allegation, every settlement, every internal investigation, and every financial record showing whether Kanakook actually suffered any harm from my statement, or whether this is just an attempt to intimidate people into silence. Under Tennessee law, CannaCook will have to prove I'm lying. They'll have to prove actual malice, that I knew my statements were false, or that I had serious doubts about its truth. They can't do that, because I relied on Elizabeth Phillips, whose brother was a victim. I relied on public court records, relied on widespread media coverage of Pete Newman's prosecution, and most importantly, they admit, the core of what I said is true. Canacook employees sexually abused children. Victims were silenced by confidentiality agreements. That's not defamation, that's the truth. I want to say something directly to survivors. I see you, I believe you, and I will not stop fighting for you. Sexual abuse at youth camps, especially Christian camps that are supposed to be safe places, is a matter of urgent public concern. Parents have a right to know. Kids have a right to be protected. And survivors have a right to speak. Can a cook's attempt to use legal threats to silence reporting on child sexual abuse in itself is newsworthy and I going to keep reporting on it Takana Cook you want to talk about callous and malicious disregard for the truth? Let's talk about operating a camp where a predator had access to thousands of children for years. Let's talk about confidentiality agreements that silenced traumatized kids. Let's talk about continuing to operate on a crime scene. You're not the victim here. The children you failed to protect are the victims. I stand by every word I said. I will not retract. I will not apologize. And if you want to sue me, my lawyers are ready. To everyone watching, this is why I do this show. This is why we tell real stories about real people, because the truth matters, because kids matter, and because some things are more important than money or reputation. If you want to support survivors of institutional child sexual abuse, check out No More Victims, the organization Elizabeth Phillips founded. They're passing laws to protect kids and hold institutions like CannaCook accountable. And if you're a survivor, please know it's not your fault. You deserve justice and there are people fighting for you. I'll keep you updated as this develops, but I'm not going to be backing down. Hey, Jeremy, what's the name of that law firm? Hush Blackwell. Hush Blackwell. I wonder how many pedophiles they've defended. That'd be an interesting piece of information to know.