School says Hello Kitty Christmas tree can stay after all

BANGOR, ME -- A Maine high school has reversed its decision to prevent a math teacher from keeping a pink Hello Kitty Christmas tree in her classroom.

Bangor High School officials had said Catherine Gordon had to remove the tree. The superintendent said the tree needed an educational component.

But WABI-TV reports principal Paul Butler said Tuesday that the school is now satisfied the tree highlights the "universal nature of holiday celebration." He says the tree is appropriate for a school setting.

Gordon wrote on her Facebook page earlier that "everything offends everyone all the time" and that it "just sucks the joy out of everything."

News of the tree's removal had taken off on social media. Republican congressman Bruce Poliquin said the school went too far in ordering its removal.