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.<\/p>\n
Riverside Poly cited concerns about a “safe, positive environment,” but parents said the decision was due to Hernandez\u2019s presence and came from officials\u2014not players. School board member Amanda Vickers defended the forfeit, referencing an injury case involving a trans athlete, saying, \u201cThey\u2019re not going to end up like Payton McNabb.\u201d<\/p>\n
Hernandez\u2019s mother, Nereyda, condemned the decision at a board meeting: \u201cMy daughter is not the problem. The problem is fear and religion being used to divide parents.\u201d<\/p>\n
AB has faced repeated hostility, including heckling at a track meet and protests at events. She told CBS News: \u201cI\u2019m just a normal kid going to school, playing sports.\u201d<\/p>\n
The situation has drawn national attention, with Donald Trump threatening to cut funding to California schools allowing trans athletes. But for AB\u2019s mother, the fight remains personal: \u201cMy daughter deserves to play, just like every other child.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the backlash, the Hernandez family says they won\u2019t stop fighting for AB\u2019s right to compete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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\u2019s presence and came from officials\u2014not players. School board…<\/p>\n