Beavers and Juvie Jail Chief Rehash Old Feud Over Dress Code

By Prescott Carlson in News on Nov 11, 2011 4:40PM

Cook County Commissioner William "Big Nuts" Beavers and Earl Dunlap, head of the county's Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, are still going at it after Beavers made a bad first impression on Dunlap when the two first met in 2008.

According to the Sun-Times, Beavers had asked Dunlap at the time if he "own[ed] a suit," in reference to the polo shirt and khaki pants Dunlap was wearing. Beavers added that Dunlap needs to dress so his "appearance commands respect" and to "be a role model" -- although the kids being booked into juvie are probably a little too preoccupied to notice who's dressing business casual.

The three-year-old heated exchange came up again on Thursday, during a budget hearing with both Beavers and Dunlap present. After discussing "fractured" relations between the juvenile jail and the Chicago Police Department, the pair started bickering like a couple of tween girls arguing over who's hotter, Edward or Jacob:

“We started off on a bad foot, and you want to leave it that way,” Dunlap said.

Beavers fired back: “We started off bad because I don’t like the way you dress, and I told you that.”

Dunlap, not one to mince words, shot right back: “And I also told you, you ain’t my momma.”

Beavers quickly chimed in: “That’s exactly right — and your daddy either.”

Beavers, who in a 1995 Chicago Tribune profile was described as wearing "suits [that] are finely tailored [and the] cuffs of his white shirts are monogrammed," continued to go after Dunlap's current manner of dress at the meeting, which was a work uniform comprised of a black sweater and black pants. Beavers said Dunlap "looks like a trailer tramp" and added, "Who's going to have respect for that?"

Dunlap was quoted as responding, "There are more important issues going on than whether or not I wear Armani suits."