# Ep. 181 Free Speech Under Pressure with Ryan Tuttle

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/muddy-waters-7079451/ep-181-free-speech-under-pressure-with-ryan-tuttle
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/muddy-waters-7079451/ep-181-free-speech-under-pressure-with-ryan-tuttle.md
Podcast: [Muddy Waters](https://stenobird.com/podcast/muddy-waters-7079451)
Published: 2026-05-30T04:59:32+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/charles-ellis9/episodes/Ep--181-Free-Speech-Under-Pressure-with-Ryan-Tuttle-e3k32sa
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/1039add24/podcast/play/120736074/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-4-29%2F425149754-44100-2-728465db54ca6.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/muddy-waters-7079451/episodes/ep-181-free-speech-under-pressure-with-ryan-tuttle
Duration seconds: 7250

## Resource

On this episode of Muddy Waters, Chuck Ellis talks with Ryan Tuttle — USM psychology lecturer, former Jehovah’s Witness, and unlikely Republican.Ryan opens up about growing up in a high-control religion that banned politics and holidays, his journey to atheism, and how those experiences shaped his fierce commitment to free speech and independent thinking. From being shunned by his community to facing backlash for advising conservative student groups on a progressive campus, Ryan’s story challenges easy stereotypes.A candid conversation about faith, leaving religion, academia’s biases, peer pressure, and standing up for viewpoint diversity in Maine.If you enjoy unfiltered stories and people who refuse to stay in their lane, hit play.New episodes every week. Follow Muddy Waters wherever you listen.

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## Transcript

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