Illinois girl, 8, made to wear sign as punishment SWANSEA, Ill., April 18 (UPI) -- An Illinois school district sent a letter to parents after a father made his 8-year-old daughter stand outside a school with a sign saying she likes "to steal." Superintendent Mike Brink of High Mount School District 116 said he sent the letter home after Montrail White forced his third-grade daughter to hold a sign reading "I like to steal from others and lie about it" outside of High Mount School in Swansea and reportedly used profanity about 15 times in front of young students during the Tuesday punishment, the Belleville News-Democrat reported Wednesday. It is not safe to have a young child standing by a very busy school entrance. ... In addition, I will absolutely not tolerate the verbal abuse and profanities that were used this morning in the presence of parents, students and school personnel," Brink wrote. Brink said White's daughter was screaming and crying during the incident. White and his wife, Melissa, said the school overreacted to the punishment. Is it more embarrassing to her to let a few people see her now or have her name in the newspaper when she gets older and is caught stealing and sent to jail? Montrail White said. White denied using profanity during the incident.