ARLINGTON, Texas – A Texas teen is fighting Newman International Academy after the seventh-grader was allegedly forced to leave the charter school because his hair was too long and violated the dress code.

Isaias Mouton, 12, told Fox 4 that with just a month remaining in the school year, officials at Arlington’s Newman International Academy presented him with an ultimatum: either cut his hair and finish out the school year, or leave.

MORE NEWS: Know These Before Moving From Cyprus To The UK

He choose the latter.

“It’s not fair if you just make rules and then enforce them at the last moment,” the seventh-grader said. “And then if you don’t follow them, you get kicked out.”

Mouton has been growing out his hair and puts it in a ponytail while at the school, where he’s attended classes since fourth grade.

His hair now stretches to the middle of his back, but the boy’s father said it’s never been an issue until school officials approached Mouton last week to allege he’s not in compliance with the school dress code.

“It is my position that my son should not cut his hair because the rules have never been enforced,” Israel Mouton, Isaias’ father, told the news site.

Newman International Academy Superintendent Sheba George pointed to the school dress code policy that states male students must keep their hair above their shirt collar.

MORE NEWS: How to prepare for face-to-face classes

“They’ve had a very, very long time to be in compliance with this policy,” she said. “If we say they do not have to comply with this policy at this time, it would be absolutely unfair to the other 1,0000 students who are in compliance, whether there are four weeks left in the school year or not.”

Isaias Mouton recently protested the ultimatum along a busy Arlington street with his father, where the two toted a sign and put on display Mouton’s academic and athletic accolades. Israel Mouton said he plans to enroll his son in Arlington’s public school system, but the boy is not happy about it.

“They never enforced the rule until now. That made me very angry,” Isaias Mouton said. “I have helped with the track team, helped with robotics. I play viola in the school orchestra. Most important of all, I always made good grades.”

Public school officials told the Moutons that Isaia’s hair wouldn’t be an issue.

The hairy debacle prompted mixed reactions on Facebook.

“So boys have to cut their hair to go to school but anyone can go into Target and use any bathroom they choose, even an old perv can use the bathroom stall right next to my 9-year-old daughter,” Nichole DeBiaso wrote. “What is this crazy world coming to?”

“Rules are rules and children need to be taught to obey them. Yes I understand that it might be a ridiculous rule, but come on parents … lead by example and follow the rules,” Emily Davis posted.

“Yeah, let’s kick the kid out of school and jeopardize his education over a ponytail,” Chelsea Bates commented. “This world is so freaking cry baby it’s not even fully.”