HILLSBORO, Mo. – Jefferson County third grader Peyton Whitehead was served at school Thursday.

The 8-year-old Hillsboro Elementary student was in class as normal Thursday when a county sheriff’s deputy paid him a visit to serve an ex-parte order of protection, which essentially forces him to remain in his home until his Sept. 20 court date, his mother told KMOV.

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

“The cop told me that my son is not allowed to attend school now,” Danielle Whitehead said as she broke into tears. “He cannot go to school. …

“I don’t know what to do,” she said. “I have to wait till the court date.”

The personal protection order issued through the 23rd Judicial Circuit Court is the latest development in a long running dispute with the Whitehead’s neighbors, and it alleges Peyton made threats against the neighbor’s children, according to the news site.

The order requires Peyton to remain at least 1,000 feet from the neighbors, who live on his block just outside of Hillsboro.

Danielle Whitehead said the police officer she spoke with “explained that if he did ever have any contact with them as he’s riding his bicycle or anything like that they would have to come and put handcuffs on him and put him in juvenile” detention.

“My 8-year-old son they would arrest,” she said.

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

[xyz-ihs snippet=”NEW-In-Article-Rev-Content-Widget”]

The mother told the news site that the threats her son made against the neighbor kids were already handled by the elementary school, and she also punished him for it.

The father of the complaining family said he was surprised that a judge granted the protection order, but told KMOV he takes the threats against his children seriously.

Danielle Whitehead said she’s now forced to homeschool Peyton, who has learning disabilities, at least until the Sept. 20 court appearance.

Folks who commented about the situation on Facebook seemed to be split about whether a restraining order is the best way to deal with a troubled 8-year-old.

“I’m sorry but if your child is going to bully other children they should be punished,” Peggy Dietz wrote. “Bullying is not to be tolerated.”

“It’s about time the courts stepped in,” Kelli Price-Piccoli posted.

Dianne Newman thought the court order was a bit overboard.

“A restraining order on an 8 year old? Shouldn’t they have just made him write sentences or put him in the corner?” she wrote. “Maybe the judge could have sent an officer to talk to him and scare him a bit. I think the judge was being lazy here.”

“An 8 year old should not get served a restraining order at school. That’s ridiculous,” Roberta Robertson posted. “Even if that 8 year old was a bully or something it could have been handled better on many levels.”