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Jenkins said that despite Middleton's segregationist views in the 1950s, the general had enforced the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] when he was appointed by Governor [[John J. McKeithen]] as the chairman of the Governor's Biracial Commission on Human Relations, Rights and Responsibilities in 1965. Jenkins said that Middleton "was at the forefront" in the resoulution of racial crises in the 1960s in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], Opelousas in St. Lanery Parish, Ferriday in Concordia Parish,, and Bogalusa<ref name=nameremoval/> in Governor John Bel Edwards' Tangipahoa Parish.
Jenkins said that despite Middleton's segregationist views in the 1950s, the general had enforced the [[Civil Rights Act of 1964]] when he was appointed by Governor [[John J. McKeithen]] as the chairman of the Governor's Biracial Commission on Human Relations, Rights and Responsibilities in 1965. Jenkins said that Middleton "was at the forefront" in the resoulution of racial crises in the 1960s in [[Alexandria, Louisiana|Alexandria]], Opelousas in St. Lanery Parish, Ferriday in Concordia Parish,, and Bogalusa<ref name=nameremoval/> in Governor John Bel Edwards' Tangipahoa Parish.
West Monroe columnist Sam Hanna, Jr., of ''The Ouachita Citizen'' defended Middleton's legacy:
<blockquote>
General Troy H. Middleton stood in the breach and stopped the [[Nazi]]s from capturing Bastogne in one of the bloodiest engagements of World War II. It's known as the Battle of the Bulge. It was the last offensive carried out by the German Army, which had hoped to divide Allied Forces in order to negotiate an end to the war favorable to the Third Reich.
By the grace of God and the heroism of thousands of Allied soldiers including Middleton, the German army failed, and World War II in Europe came to an end with the fall of Nazi Germany less than six months later. …
Apparently that meant nothing to the LSU Board of Supervisors, which unanimously agreed last week to remove Middleton's name from the library at the Ole War Skule, for whom the library was named in 1978. The Troy H. Middleton Library will exist no longer. The library will be renamed in honor of Lord only knows what or whom. LSU officials will inform us at a later date....
Apparently that meant nothing to the LSU Board of Supervisors, which unanimously agreed ... to remove Middleton's name from the library at the Ole War Skule, for whom the library was named in 1978. The Troy H. Middleton Library will exist no longer. The library will be renamed in honor of Lord only knows what or whom. LSU officials will inform us at a later date.
The grave sin Middleton committed that prompted the LSU board to dishonor his legacy concerns a letter Middleton wrote to the chancellor of the [[University of Texas]] in 1961 when Middleton was serving as LSU's president, one of many positions Middleton held on and off at LSU beginning in 1930 as commandant of cadets. In his communication to Texas' Harry Ransom, Middleton discussed LSU's efforts to keep black and white students segregated, which was the law of the land in Louisiana at the time.<br>
Middleton’s stand against fascism in World War II is to be wiped away and ignored forever because his position toward integration as LSU's president — some 60 years ago — conflicts with the wants and wishes of modern-day society, or modern-day fascists. And the LSU board embraced it. So did [[Governor]] [[John Bel Edwards]], who took time out of his fear-mongering, COVID-consumed schedule to rally the LSU board to strip Middleton’s name from the library. Plaques commemorating Middleton’s service and his bust were removed from the library as well. ...<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hannapub.com/ouachitacitizen/opinion/columns/sam-hanna-jr-presentism-at-its-worst/article_3f05f784-b5a7-11ea-b667-9348759a786c.html?utm_medium=social&utm_source=email&utm_campaign=user-share|title=Presentism at its worst|publisher=''The Ouachita Citizen'' (West Monroe, Louisiana)|date=June 23, 2020|author=Sam Hanna, Jr.|accessdate=June 27, 2020}}</ref></blockquote>
Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge was also renamed Lee High School in 2016, without the full name "Robert E. Lee." Then on June 18, 2020, the politically correct East Baton Rouge Parish School Board appointed a committee to develop an alternative name for Lee High School. Connie Bernard, a Republican member of the school board for District 8, at first defended the name of General Lee and urged his critics to study the totality of Lee's career. However, Bernard quickly reversed course and pledged to work for racial reconciliation: “I condemn racial injustice in any form. I promise to be part of the solution and to listen to the concerns of all members of our community. I stand with you, in love and respect. … I agree with (New Orleans Saints football player) Drew Brees when he said, ‘We have a long way to go…. We can do better. We are all part of the solution.’ I promise I will be part of the solution.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_50df7e4c-b27f-11ea-b969-5b0376f4116f.html|title=Baton Rouge school board member apologizes for comments defending General Robert E. Lee|author=Charles Lussier|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 19, 2020|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref> In 2018, another [[Robert E. Lee High School]] in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], was renamed "L.E.E. High Schoo" (meaning "Legacy of Educational Excellence") by the politically correct trustees of the North East Independent School District.
Robert E. Lee High School in Baton Rouge was also renamed Lee High School in 2016, without the full name "Robert E. Lee." Then on June 18, 2020, the politically correct East Baton Rouge Parish School Board appointed a committee to develop an alternative name for Lee High School. Connie Bernard, a Republican member of the school board for District 8, at first defended the name of General Lee and urged his critics to study the totality of Lee's career. However, Bernard quickly reversed course and pledged to work for racial reconciliation: “I condemn racial injustice in any form. I promise to be part of the solution and to listen to the concerns of all members of our community. I stand with you, in love and respect. … I agree with (New Orleans Saints football player) Drew Brees when he said, ‘We have a long way to go…. We can do better. We are all part of the solution.’ I promise I will be part of the solution.”<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theadvocate.com/baton_rouge/news/education/article_50df7e4c-b27f-11ea-b969-5b0376f4116f.html|title=Baton Rouge school board member apologizes for comments defending General Robert E. Lee|author=Charles Lussier|publisher=''The Baton Rouge Advocate''|date=June 19, 2020|accessdate=June 20, 2020}}</ref> In 2018, another [[Robert E. Lee High School]] in [[San Antonio]], [[Texas]], was renamed "L.E.E. High Schoo" (meaning "Legacy of Educational Excellence") by the politically correct trustees of the North East Independent School District.