AUSTIN -- A state district judge on Thursday ordered a "Charlie Brown Christmas' display at a Killeen school restored after it was ordered taken down over a biblical message that educators said could be offensive.

After an hour-long hearing, Judge Jack Jones ruled that the door display featuring the Peanut character Linus, and his explanation of why Christmas matters, should be put back up with an added line: "Ms. Shannon's Christmas message."

Nurse's aide Dedra Shannon had put up the display on her office door at Patterson Middle School two weeks ago, and the principal quickly ordered it removed because it contained a version of the biblical message that Linus had stated in the classic show.

School officials insisted the display violated state law.

Despite protests from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and community activists that the decision smacked of being "politically correct," the Killeen school board on Tuesday upheld the take-down order by a 6-1 vote.

Paxton sued the district earlier Thursday, seeking a restraining order to allow the display to go back up on Friday -- the last day of school this semester. In his ruling, the judge said that adding the disclaimer to the display would clear up any perceived endorsement of religion by the district.

In his suit, Paxton characterized the decision as "censorship" and asked a judge to allow the display to be put back up.

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"Contrary to the decision of KISD, the inclusion of Bible verses or religious messages on student or teacher-sponsored holiday decorations does not violate Texas law," the suit filed in Bell County district court states.

"To the contrary, Texas law prohibits KISD from expressing hostility toward religious messages, and it also specifically encourages school districts to take a more inclusive approach to religious and secular celebrations."

Shannon, a nurse's aide at Patterson Middle School, had put up a homemade decoration on her office door depicting the Peanuts character Linus saying, "For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord...That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown."

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Linus made the comment after being asked if anyone knew what what Christmas is all about.

"Once again, public schools have decided that their commitment to diversity does not extend to Christians," Paxton said. "Neither faculty nor students shed their constitutional rights when they step inside the schoolhouse door. The law in fact encourages school districts to take an inclusive approach to religious and secular celebrations that are both respectful and accepting of different viewpoints.

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Killeen school officials had no immediate comment on the decision.

"Religious discrimination towards Christians has become a holiday tradition of sorts among certain groups," Paxton said in a statement after the judge's decision. "I am glad to see that the court broke through the left's rhetorical fog and recognized that a commitment to diversity means protecting everyone's individual religious expression."