Strange Association Bedfellows for Systemic Advantage | Sanje Ratnavale | 10 Min Read

Independent school associations are taking no risks to protect the systemic advantages of their customer base, even if it opens them up to charges of DEIJ hypocrisy and a token appreciation of civil rights laws. Last week they breathed a collective sigh of relief as the US Court of Appeal in the 4th Circuit covering states like Virginia and Maryland overturned a lower court ruling against a private school concerning the applicability of federal laws on sexual discrimination to non-profits. It seems quite likely that this will be appealed, and other Court of Appeal circuits may not rule similarly on other cases. Many of these cases, involving sexual harassment, assault or discrimination, are against private schools. The recent 4th Circuit Court of Appeal ruling overturns this but the general societal thrust, in our reading and as I argue below, is just like with same-sex marriage, a recognition that this is a protection or right that should apply universally without exclusions for specific groups in the conduct of their businesses. Many private schools access public funds through PD grants, bond subsidies, leases, or voucher programs, and this exemption will start to look very anachronistic for the elite few who…

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Sanje Ratnavale

Sanje founded OESIS in 2012 and serves as the President of what has grown to become the leading network for innovation at independent schools: the acronym OESIS grew from the initial focus on Online Education Strategies for Independent Schools. He has held senior administrative positions at independent schools including Associate Head of School at a K-12 school for seven years, High School Principal for three years, and CFO for seven years. Prior to making a switch to education, Sanje spent 15 years in venture capital, investment banking, and senior C-level (CEO, COO, CFO) management. He was educated at Christ Church, Oxford University (B.A. and M.A. in Law/Jurisprudence). Sanje is based out of Santa Monica.