Imagine that a previous employer said something bad about you during a reference check, and what they said wasn't true, and it caused you to lose a potential ne

Imagine that a previous employer said something bad about you during a reference check, and what they said wasn't true, and it caused you to lose a potential new job. You'd definitely have a good reason to sue them. Now, imagine the same scenario, except what your previous employer said was true. But you sued them anyway. In both cases, you have the ability to sue. In both cases, unless there is some very strong and obvious evidence against you, a judge and/or jury might take your side. From the perspective of one of your former employers, it's just not worth the risk to give details about why someone was separated from a company.