Word-engineer hat on:

> The grapevine was (...), and all those grapes contained the juice of the same message: Jarred was a stinky manager.

Per exact words these two are different:

    - I think someone is stinky
    - I spoke with people who said someone is stinky 

You got it wrong.

- I think someone is stinky at this one particular thing

- I spoke with people who said he was stinky at this one particular thing

Those are different than personal attacks