A California high school volleyball game sparked controversy after Riverside Poly High refused to play Jurupa Valley because the team includes transgender player AB Hernandez. Riverside Poly forfeited the August 15 match, citing the need for a “safe, positive environment,” though parents claim the decision was about Hernandez’s inclusion.
School board member Amanda Vickers defended the forfeit, referencing a past injury involving a transgender athlete. Hernandez’s mother criticized the decision, saying her daughter is being targeted by fear and politics, not fairness.
This isn’t AB’s first encounter with hostility — she was previously heckled at a track meet and protested at other events. The issue has now moved into national politics, with Donald Trump threatening to pull funding from schools that allow transgender athletes.
Despite the backlash, Hernandez’s mother remains firm: “My daughter deserves to play, just like every other child.”