I find none of what you wrote surprising; in fact, it's about what I expected. That's not a criticism - if this is the situation, people should know.

That said, this small group of dedicated bullies (not your term, but it fits), together with the supine posture of those around them, gets people fired, disinvited, ostracized and harassed. Moreover, they narrow the range of what can and can't be said to a perimeter that leaves way too little space.