Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback says his office overreacted to a disparaging tweet from a high school senior and is apologizing for how his staff handled the issue.

Brownback issued a statement Monday after the Shawnee Mission
School District said 18-year-old Emma Sullivan wouldn’t be punished
for refusing to write an apology letter to the governor. Sullivan’s principal had earlier demanded the letter.

Sullivan sent a tweet during a class trip last week saying Brownback "sucked," among other insulting comments.

Brownback’s office staff saw the tweet while monitoring social media and contacted the school. The governor has since faced ridicule for trying to police a teenager’s Internet musings.

In his statement, the governor thanked educators "who remind us daily of our liberties, as well as the values of civility anddecorum.