A California high school volleyball match sparked controversy after Riverside Poly High forfeited a game against Jurupa Valley High because the opposing team included a transgender player, AB Hernandez.
Riverside Poly cited concerns about a “safe, positive environment,” but parents said the decision was due to Hernandez’s presence and came from officials—not players. School board member Amanda Vickers defended the forfeit, referencing an injury case involving a trans athlete, saying, “They’re not going to end up like Payton McNabb.”
Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda, condemned the decision at a board meeting: “My daughter is not the problem. The problem is fear and religion being used to divide parents.”
AB has faced repeated hostility, including heckling at a track meet and protests at events. She told CBS News: “I’m just a normal kid going to school, playing sports.”
The situation has drawn national attention, with Donald Trump threatening to cut funding to California schools allowing trans athletes. But for AB’s mother, the fight remains personal: “My daughter deserves to play, just like every other child.”
Despite the backlash, the Hernandez family says they won’t stop fighting for AB’s right to compete.