Venting for a friend

I’m very angry right now for a friend of mine. A few months ago she left her job at a nonprofit organizations because her boss, a woman, was a tyrant. I supported her in that decision because I’ve been there. I also left a job after a year because my boss (a man) was awful. Ten others had left before me! I told HR I was leaving because it was a hostile work environment. i was able to collect unemployment and it was such a relief.

Now, this friend of mine is a nonprofit professional with years of experience and a Master’s degree. She is also warm and funny and very intelligent. So she had interview recently with a national, well known nonprofit organziation, which I won’t mention here (or maybe I should!). Anyway, she passed the interviews (with 9 people!) with flying colors. She was excited. They asked for her references, who were called, and she got glowing references. Then, however, she heard from a former colleague at the last organization that her potential future boss had called the old boss for a reference! Now, am I wrong here, but is that even legal? Can you call someone who was not given as a reference by the prospect? And then, if you are the old boss, arent’ you supposed to just say, ‘she worked here from this date to this date, and left by her own choice?’ Finally, the part that irks me the most, if you were the old boss, why would you want to destroy someone’s opportunity for a new job in this economy?? I’m just horrified.

Of course, she did not get the job. The potential new boss called and said, “Sorry, we don’t think you have enought experience to do the job.” End of story. Now she’s miserable, and who can blame her??