Lynn Hesse papers

Collection

Identifier: W104

Staff Only

Scope and Contents of the Papers

The collection primarily documents the sex discrimination case of plaintiff Marsha Cofield, police officer, in 1985 against DeKalb County Government, but also includes some of Hesse's artistic works and her biography and resume.

Her artistic works include a short story, from which she wrote a play that was performed at Emory's Schwartz Center; and performance of her oral history through dance.

Dates

1985, 2011, undated

Creator

Hesse, Lynn (Person)

Restrictions on Access

Collection is open for research use.

Terms Governing Use and Reproduction

Georgia State University is the owner of the physical collection and makes reproductions available for research, subject to the copyright law of the United States and item condition. Georgia State University may or may not own the rights to materials in the collection. It is the researcher's responsibility to verify copyright ownership and obtain permission from the copyright holder before publication, reproduction, or display of the materials beyond what is reasonable under copyright law. Researchers may quote selections from the collection under the fair use provision of copyright law.

Biography of Lynne Hesse

Lynn Hesse is a former policewoman of DeKalb County, Georgia, as well as a playwright, dancer, and short story author. Born in 1951 in Chanute, Kansas, she moved with her parents to the Buckhead area of Atlanta when she was a pre-teenager. After reading The Feminist Mystique by Betty Friedan at the approximate age of 15, she self-identified as a feminist. Hesse graduated through Clayton County Academy and went to work for Georgia State University as a police officer (post-certified) in circa 1977, and subsequently became a DeKalb County police officer, rising through the ranks of Master Officer and Field Training Officer to Sergeant.

During her tenure as a DeKalb County Police Officer, she was denied her application for promotional testing and her compensation for arrests was diverted to other male officers. She and several other female officers were equally discriminated against. When a class action suit could not be organized, policewoman Marsha Cofield filed an individual law suit, in which Lynne Hesse was actively involved. Cofield won her case.

Following her law enforcement career, Hesse has focused on her artistic pursuits which include dance and writing. In 1996, she graduated (cum laude) in Dance from Georgia State University. She has created an "oral history performed in dance," and play she wrote, based on her own short story, was staged at Emory's Schwartz Center.

Extent

0.5 Linear Feet (in 2 boxes)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract:

Lynn Hesse is a former policewoman of DeKalb County, Georgia, as well as a playwright, dancer and short story author. The collection primarily documents the sex discrimination case of plaintiff Marsha Cofield, police officer, in 1985 against DeKalb County Government, but also includes some of Hesse's artistic works and her biography and resume.