I'm also an Emory PhD, albeit not in English, but in a very closely related field. I take English seminars and work with English professors.
I'm also friends with many of the English students. My impression is that they are for the most part happy with the program. OP's opinion is far from being the norm. In fact, I am shocked to read these accusations, many of which don't make sense anyway. We don't know the context for any of these situations. A student's advisor might have prohibited a student from applying a language to his/her requirements because it wasn't relevant to the student's research interests.
So for what it's worth: my take on the English program is that it is collegial, supportive and filled with professors who care about the graduate students' well-being.