[Kate*]

I have a friend of a friend who is a hiring manager and may be willing to do a reference check for me. I'm flagged in their system as a non-rehire which I think is what is turning people off, but if they're calling and talking to a human, I have no idea what they're being told. I will 100% own and explain it in an interview, but now I can't even get that far. In Ohio, employers are granted immunity to give any type of reference they want, as long as it's factually true. They aren't supposed to, but it obviously happens. Reporting it won't do anything unless I can prove they're lying or being discriminatory.