Are E+ bulkhead seats that are initially unavailable, but become available at 24H out, a bad idea for a seat assignment?

This happened to me last month ABQ-ORD (737-8) and the GA could not have been less helpful.

My wife and I are traveling on one PNR. Fortunately, our 10 month old was not traveling with us (first family trip without him). Checked-in right at 24 hours and switched us from E- to E+ via Silver. Snagged 7E (me), 7F (wife). Prior to 24H, those specific seats were unavailable.

Go to board with Group 2. My mobile BP beeps. GA #1 mumbles something about a seat assignment, which sounded like she said "You requested a new seat", and hands me a printed BP for row 20(something). I told her that I did not request a new seat assignment. She says can't help you, you can sit in that seat or we can put you on a different flight. My wife's seat assignment was unaffected.

For the record: my comment to GA#1 was not rude, I was just confused.

I step over to the desk and ask GA#2 why our seat assignments were split up for no obvious (to me) reason, and that I was not notified by United, and that my app had my 7E seat assignment until the moment I scanned. I am seriously annoyed by GA#1, but do my best to keep my attitude in check. GA#2 tells me its a disabled passenger. OK, I understand, and I don't say anything else. GA#2 gets my wife and I new seats together 9(A/B). We board.

Since I'm only two rows back, I wait to see who boards in seat 7E/7F. Last minute, I see a gentleman board in his 60s, with a younger woman in her 30s. No one else sits in the row. Neither of them are disabled.

Want to know how I know?

I recognized them from the wedding we attended the night before. Groom's family. They spent the whole night dancing with the groom's mom and dad. This gentleman had a very distinctive head of hair for a 60 year old man (yes, slightly jealous), so he was easily recognizeable.

But wait, it gets better. During beverage service, the FA comes up with the snack boxes and thanks the gentleman for being a 1K.

I'm pretty annoyed. Not because I had to switch (yes, I prefer the bulkhead but I didn't pay for E+, so whatever), but because:
- I wasn't notified
- GA#1 was rude/unhelpful
- My wife and I were going to be split-up (what if we had a lap infant and another pair of seats weren't available?)
- Did GA#2 lie to me about why I was moved?
- While I understand that not all disabilities are visible, is the silver-haired, dancing-king 1K actually disabled (or somehow gaming the system)?

I'm really hoping this was a one-off (the involuntary move, not the fact that I KNEW the passenger.)That is definitely a new one.