If you felt that strongly, then letting it out is the same as letting it go. Psychologically, it probably set him properly for his next role. Good on him for

If you felt that strongly, then letting it out is the same as letting it go. Psychologically, it probably set him properly for his next role. Good on him for not cowing under the "business norms" here. And as to hurting his reputation: that sounds like you're referring to rep to upper management, who will probably not care, and will have hardly anything to do with his next hire, anyway. People who will be choosing to hire him are pretty likely to identify with him at some level, even if it's historically, for a start. If they'd be worried about his "honesty", he really wouldn't be happy working there, anyway. In my experience, people who've been totally honest about their opinions to colleagues and managers have been, on average, more successful and definitely more respected. Then again, perhaps that's just a antipodean perspective.