Some people walk into a workplace and act like they are already owed respect, authority, and admiration. That was exactly the kind of energy the new history teacher brought with him when he arrived straight out of university.
While the rest of the staff saw a young educator who still had a lot to learn, he saw himself as a rising star whose brilliance was immediately obvious. Unfortunately, he also believed that anyone working outside of teaching, especially the admin staff, existed several steps beneath him. His condescending attitude and dismissive comments made day to day interactions frustrating, and the impression he left lingered long after he moved on.
Years later, fate handed one of his former colleagues a moment she never expected. A phone call came into her office from a prestigious boys’ school requesting a reference for a job applicant. When she heard the name, she could not help laughing.
Here’s The Original Story:
The narrator had worked in administrative support at a private school for years when the fresh out of university history teacher joined the staff.
From the beginning, he treated her and the other admin workers as if they were part of the furniture rather than part of the team. He often spoke down to them, brushed off questions, and acted as though their time and expertise were insignificant compared to his.
After a few years of mediocre teaching and strained working relationships, he left the school and moved on to another position. Life continued, and eventually he faded into the background of old workplace memories.
Then came the day when her boss was out of the office and she picked up a call intended for him. The person on the other end introduced himself as a deputy head from one of the most prestigious boys’ schools in the city.
He explained that a former teacher of theirs had applied for a position, and they needed a reference. She asked for the name so she could prepare the information for her boss before he returned. And that was when everything took a turn.
Hearing the ex-colleague’s name caught her so off guard that she laughed before she even thought about how it might sound. The deputy head politely asked why.
She answered honestly. She admitted that she held personal bias due to how poorly he had treated her when they worked together, and then added a more substantive concern: during the years he taught history at their school, the students’ marks were the lowest they had ever been.
It was a simple statement, but it carried weight. Her boss later returned the call and was asked directly whether he would re-employ the teacher.
He did not hesitate. He answered that he would not. When he hung up, he and the narrator shared a laugh about how the moment unfolded.
Did her reaction cost him the job? No one could say for certain. But it certainly did not help.
Here’s the input from the Reddit crowd:
Many commenters agreed that someone who disrespects admin staff reveals more about their character than they realize.
Others shared how support staff, receptionists, and technicians often influence hiring decisions behind the scenes, simply by reporting how candidates behave when no one “important” is watching.
Several users described similar situations in which rude coworkers were passed over, denied opportunities, or exposed for dishonesty because someone finally told the truth.
References exist for a reason. They are not a formality, and they do not require anyone to pretend a difficult colleague was a joy to work with. In this case, one honest moment revealed both a pattern of disrespect and a history of poor performance, two things no prestigious school wants to inherit.
Whether or not her reaction changed the outcome, it highlighted a simple truth that many commenters echoed. Careers are built on skill, but they are protected by character. And sometimes, the door a person slammed on someone else is the very door that stays closed for them later.
