Barber Found 'Not Liable' 9 Months After Flyer Controversy

CHICAGO — Tony Moore, the Morgan Park neighborhood barber and personal trainer whose name was connected to a bizarre controversy last summer in which racy flyers were said to have been circulated promoting an event that apparently was never in the plans, has been cleared. A city of Chicago administrative law judge last week found Moore, known to neighborhood kids and families as "Mr. Tony," not liable on accusations from the city's Business Affairs and Consumer Protection office that he planned to hold a late-night event involving liquor without the proper license, his attorney said.

“We’re glad the judge saw these flyers for what they were: an attempt to slander the good name of a local businessman who gives back to the community,” Jen Claypool, Moore's attorney, said.

But with the final determination not coming until May 14, the issue — which was for the most part accepted by the public last August to be a misunderstanding — turned into a nine-month ordeal for the neighborhood barber and Clissold Elementary School parent. The racy flyer, which many in the 19th Ward were alerted to when Alderman Matt O'Shea shared an image of it with his thousands of e-mail list subscribers, was promoting an event for Labor Day weekend 2018 at "Mr. Tony's Barbershop."

A locale that does not exist anywhere around here.

RELATED ON PATCH: Barber Denies Promoting Racy Event, Refutes Cease & Desist Order

Mr. Tony is the owner of "Mr. Tony & Co. VIP," a different name from the place referred to on the flyer. For years Labor Day weekend has been a big one there, but for holding a popular back-to-school event in which neighborhood kids are given free haircuts by Mr. Tony and his staff. Not a type of party suggested by the content on the flyer.

“I’ve held back-to-school events for the past six years. I pay my taxes and my license is in good standing," Moore said.

He's also the organizer of a free turkey giveaway that's held yearly a week before Thanksgiving.

Still, Moore was cited by the city's Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection for "operating without the required public place of amusement license" and "failure to display required license" when the flyers became public. In addition, his business was issued a cease & desist order.

But Moore says that neither O'Shea nor anyone from the BACP office met or spoke with him prior to being served the violation notice.

“From the beginning, we were stunned that no one from the alderman’s office or BACP thought to contact Mr. Moore about these clearly false allegations before pursuing them,” Claypool said.

RELATED ON PATCH: Alderman O'Shea Responds To The Mr. Tony Controversy

And even months after the alleged party in question, Moore was still fighting the infraction. No resolution was made during a first in-person hearing attended by O'Shea and attorneys for the city and a second hearing set for April was delayed before the case was finally resolved last week.

In issuing the dismissal of both citations, the law judge who made the decision wrote that the BACP did not meet the burden of proof in the case.

Moore said he does not know why his business was targeted this way, and that he hopes something like this never happens to any other community-minded small business owner.

"But if it does, I hope everyone takes a step back and thinks twice before assuming the worst," he said.