Based on these principles, federal courts in every region of this United States have dismissed official capacity claims as redundant, duplicative, or unnecessary, where the government itself is also named as a defendant. See Smith v. Metropolitan School Dist. Perry Tp., 128 F.3d 1014, 1021 n.3 (7th Cir. 1997) (“Because Smith’s suit is also against the entity, i.e., the School District and School Board, her claims against the principal and assistant principal, in their official capacities, are redundant”); Jackson v. Marion County Sheriff’s Dept., 67 F.3d 301, 1995 WL 564665 at *1 (7th Cir.) (“Although the suit against the officers in their official capacities was dropped, [plaintiff] was still able to pursue the identical claim against [the] County”); Alicea v. City of Chicago, 2002 WL 1021553 at *4 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (“because Alicea already names the City as a defendant, the claims against Jason in his official capacity are dismissed as duplicative”); Associated Fire Fighters of Illinois, AFL-CIO v. Town of Cicero, 2002 WL 460875 at *1 (N.D. Ill. 2002) (citing cases dismissing official capacity defendants as “redundant”); Love-Lane v. Martin, 2002 WL 745853 at *4 (M.D.N.C. 2002) (official capacity claim “is redundant and will be dismissed”); Goins v. Hitchcock I.S.D., 191 F. Supp.2d 860, 8