AIBU to hate what's just happened at work?

I suspect Steve is backtracking and trying to make out it's all a misunderstanding. Before asking why you weren't singled out for your leadership contribution, I'd ask what exactly did Paul do that impressed Steve so much that he felt he needed to praise Paul so publicly? You could say both you and your team (make sure he can't make this a 'you' problem) were aware of Paul's brief contribution but you echoed the SLT's opinion that 'others' had made a significant contribution throughout the whole project.

Don’t send it.

wait till Monday and say something very professional. Like that was an admirable thing to do, but the email negates to point this out. And does not recognise the wider team contribution or my own. And that it is being misconstrued due to your personal friendship,by many individuals.

Just ignore that post. Sometimes people want to kick someone and they don’t care who it is.

Don't reply now. Sleep on it at least.

Personally I'd just reply and say nothing just attach the version you were forwarded! And see how he squirms out of that !

Then that is shit management. If (and no reason to think it is true) the OP needed support Steve should have addressed it with her and put structures in place.

From the sounds of it Steve knows he’s fucked up and is trying damage limitation without realising he is just digging a deeper hole.

Perhaps Paul was brought in to clear up some of OP mess and get the project over the line and OP hasn't realised it. May explain why Steve has been more effusive with him.

Also never ever send an email when you are angry. Sleep on it and read again when you’ve slept before sending. I don’t mean to undermine your anger: but don’t act while you are boiling.

He is not responding well and that sucks.

I'd send it, fck it.

Go @AbbotSade1985 !!

I’d reply all and say yes thanks for your contribution and we’re glad to have you recently join the team. Let them know you know! You can remove the details of whomever forwarded it.

Well done op. Also good idea not to talk it out on friday and to have the weekend to digest everything.

I had this kind of bullshit at my last company and it made me realise the effort i put in wasn’t worth it, so i massively took a step back and stopped taking on too much work.

Always be clear in your head what conclusion you want from him.

He thinks you are a mug that can be played and discarded.

This is your professional reputation within the company as others have seen exactly what he has done.

Stand up for yourself firmly and calmly or honestly reputationally you will be impacted.

No man would tolerate this for a second.

Good for you!! Let him stew over the weekend.

I assume your message told him what outcome you wanted? For instance, an acknowledgement that actually Paul's role was minimal and that other people deserve far more credit? On that basis, I would have thought you are entitled to say that you don't feel there is anything you need to discuss at this stage as the facts are clear, and you would like a written response.

Have a calm and nice weekend if you can before work next week.

Don’t get into a verbal discussion about it, let him respond to your email. Verbal communication isn’t in your best interests.

You’re conflating several different things there. I have dealt with legal challenges like employment tribunals, grievances, formal complaints etc at scale, have you? There’s a difference between what you deem is unfair vs what the law allows for. The law is the bare minimum that must be followed.

Every decision you make, should logically be calculated on risk outcomes and likelihood. Not every scenario is the right opportunity to be a social justice warrior unfortunately. Managers can socialise with whoever they want to in their personal lives, him having a friendship is not something that is realistically going to be restricted by his boss as it is not against the law. In this scenario, OP does not have a strong enough argument for it be upheld in her favour, there is no guaranteed outcome of anything positive for OP.

These sorts of employment issues can seriously impact your health, and even for strong cases (which is not the case here), the entire process of raising grievances to going to court to litigate will take years. It’s not a pleasant experience in the interim, I don’t believe anyone who has gone through the entire end to end process would have the same attitude you have.

You now know Steve is not on your side so I would treat him as hostile privately.
Do not trust him or his motives.

Reminds of a Paul Longley's "If people at work were honest" sketches- The Manager, Suck Up and Alice/It's Kim

It’ll be interesting to see if he chases you Monday to talk but I would spend some time this weekend having some phrases ready for the conversation.

This. The person should have stood up and said that you should have been acknowledged too.

Bloody well done you

Brilliant @AbbotSade1985 ! Congratulations - and it's fantastic there's a woman senior manager who has your back as well.

(and brava to the MN vipers).

I read your OP and wondered if we were back in the 1980s ...