Collegiate

Staff working for BBC HR boss Lucy Adams - I don't know how many - have written to house organ Ariel in support of their departing director. It's been headed "Lay off Lucy".

Those of us who have worked closely with Lucy Adams since she joined the BBC in 2009 have watched last week's media coverage with dismay. 

We have been shocked and disturbed by the level of vitriol directed towards Lucy that is so out of kilter with our experience of working with her that we can't let it pass without comment. We believe the recent character assassinations in the press are sexist, inaccurate and unfair. 

Our experience of working with Lucy is that she is a leader of great integrity and honesty whose sole concern is to do what is right, (rather than what is easy), to secure the future of the BBC. 

It's at odds with the cheering reported from the BBC Newsroom during Ma Hodge's channelling of Judge Jeffreys at the Public Accounts Committee last week; and a view clearly not shared with whoever leaked a note about "sweetners" [sic] to Stephen Barclay MP.

One big cheerleader for Lucy has been Karen Moran, who followed Lucy to the BBC from Eversheds and is currently HR Director Resourcing & Talent and Leadership. She's got into a recent Twitter spat with outsiders who are not Lucy fans.