Applying for My Own Job

[Silent-Hunter]

Many years ago my stepdad worked in the theater department of a major university. He had worked in this position for a good five years or so and was much loved by both students and fellow staff. Fast forward to a new administration and everyone had to reapply for their jobs. Stepdad was told he wasn't qualified to do the job and was promptly shown the door. To pour salt in the wound, they blacklisted him, making it impossible to get work in that field where he lived.

Aren't blacklists against federal law? Or was this not in the US?

[KuariKaydrith]

It doesn't necessarily have to be an actual list - word of mouth is often all it takes, and in specialized fields it doesn't take much for the word to go around.

[Sapphire Silk]

Aren't blacklists against federal law? Or was this not in the US?

It's very hard to prove a black list. I've been black listed (a nurse manager took a dislike to me and made sure I couldn't get hired in any of about six hospitals in the area because she was friends with the other managers) and couldn't do a thing about it . . . other than move. Which I did.