Free-speech groups announced that four photographs by Sally Mann, seized by Fort Worth Police from the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth in January 2025, have been returned. The police removed the images following allegations that they constituted child pornography, but a Tarrant County Grand Jury found no grounds for further action. The photos were part of the exhibition *Diaries of Home*, which featured work by women and nonbinary artists. The seizure drew widespread criticism from organizations including the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression and the National Coalition Against Censorship, who called it an abuse of government power and a violation of the First Amendment.
The return of the photographs marks a significant victory for artistic freedom and free expression, reaffirming that controversial art cannot be censored by law enforcement without due process. The case echoes a similar incident in 1991 when Mann's work was investigated by Milwaukee police but not seized. The involvement of the Danbury Institute, a Christian nonprofit that petitioned for the images' removal, highlights ongoing tensions between religious advocacy groups and the art world. This outcome sets a precedent that museums and artists can rely on constitutional protections against government overreach, even when facing moral or political pressure.