Discussion on question by TheVal: How to politely but firmly tell that my ex-boss' recommendation letter is not ethical?

“He did it wrong and he’s unethical and no one is as smart as me!” Grow up.

You are chiding your boss about what is an essentially made up difference between a referral and a reference, you are saying your opinion is “just simple logic...” You are indeed a know-it-all and the people at your last job have been harboring resentment against you about it.

So just to be honest, you are coming across as a bit of a know-it-all, and are looking for advice on how to judge the work of your boss... it’s probable that the best possible outcome from this is listening and taking criticism. There is no scenario in which your old boss is going to write a “positive only” letter for you.

Can you state the country please? In Germany for example you would have a clear legal claim!