private action here, alleging sexual harassment by Rager and naming as defendants the School District, the School Board, the principal and assistant principal of Southport High School.

I. Appropriate Defendants Under Title IX

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Although the district court did not address the issue, this case presents an initial question concerning the appropriate defendant in a Title IX action.  Because Smith's lawsuit sought recovery against the principal and assistant principal of Southport High School, in both their official and individual capacities, before we consider the propriety of the district court's ruling on the summary judgment motion, we must determine whether a claim under Title IX can be stated against such defendants.


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First we consider the language of Title IX:  "[n]o person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex,"program or activity."   Section 1687 of Title IX defines "program or activity" to "mean all of the operations of--(B) a local educational agency (as defined in § 8801 of this title), system of vocational education, or other school systems," 20 U.S.C. § 1687, and § 8801 in turn defines "a local education agency" as:


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(A) a public board of education or other public authority legally constituted within a State for either administrative control or direction of, or to perform a service function for, public elementary or secondary schools in a city, county, township, school district, or other political subdivision of a State, or for such combination of school districts or counties as are recognized in a State as an administrative agency for its public elementary or secondary