In conjunction with The Personal Liberty Fund of the New Jersey Lesbian and Gay Coalition, the LEAGUE Foundation awarded the 2008 Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship. The yearly award is named after the Laurel Hester, the Ocean County Police Lieutenant, who successfully battled Ocean County Freeholders for the right to leave her pension and other benefits to her surviving domestic partner while battling terminal cancer.
Hester’s struggle was documented in the 2008 Academy Award winning film, “Freeheld”, directed by filmmaker, Cynthia Wade. The 2008 Laurel Hester Memorial Scholarship in the amount of $2,500 was awarded to Jordan Christopher Tracy, of St. Joseph, MO.
