Oh yeah they can. My last job in a public school was filled with some "witches." They were so two faced it wasn't funny. They had absolutely no shame in talking behind each other's backs constantly.
I used to see a lot of that. But then I went through a stage where whenever anybody told me gossip ( With me completely ignoring ,not incouraging them to continue the conversation AT ALL) I would take them straight to the person they were talking about, tell them what had been said, tell the two of them to work it out and walk away. I had to do it twice. I haven't heard any gossip since.

If the gossip got mad , I would simply say, "Oh, I'm sorry . I just assumed you wouldn't say anything about a person you wouldn't say to that person. "
Melissa