.

A girls’ high school volleyball team in California had two more games scratched off its schedule as opponents forfeited, adding to an already explosive situation involving a transgender athlete.

Maribel Munoz, mother of a player on Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team, confirmed the development after learning of it from the coach, Liana Manu, who had notified parents of the cancellations. Games to be forfeited by opponents included a matchup with Rim of the World High School scheduled for Aug. 25 and another against Orange Vista High School set for Aug. 29.

Jurupa Valley Unified School District (JUSD) stated the latest forfeits, noting that the district was not the one making the decisions to cancel. “We understand and acknowledge the disappointment of our Jurupa Valley High School athletes who are ready and prepared to play. Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts,” the statement said.

Jurupa Valley Unified School District

The district said in its statement that it must follow California law that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity and other factors and that under Education Code 221.5 (f), schools are required to allow students to participate on athletic teams “that correspond to their gender identity.”

The district pointed out that its guidance has been supported by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“We are proud of our JVHS Jaguars and their willingness to play any team and represent their school and our district with pride,” the district added. It said it was working to reschedule games to allow players to “continue to play the sport they love.”

Riverside Poly forfeited an Aug. 15 match that had been scheduled against Jurupa Valley. Parents of the athletes on the team and a local school board member confirmed to Fox News Digital that the decision was made due to the involvement of the school’s transgender player, senior AB Hernandez.

Mother of Trans Player Responds Amid Controversy

The mother of Hernandez, Nereyda Hernandez, posted a statement of her own in response to the controversy surrounding her daughter and other transgender athletes.

“I understand the discomfort some may feel, because I was once there, too. The difference is, I chose to learn, to grow, and to open my heart,” she said.

“First and foremost, she is a small, petite girl. She may be strong, but I assure you she is not the biggest or the most powerful player out there,” she continued. “The reason she stands out is not because of the size of her body or the strength of her muscles. It is because of her undeniable skill. This is a child, and I can assure you that she sees your daughters as peers, as teammates, as friends, not through a lens of anything inappropriate. She had no idea her team had forfeited two matches over her.”

Hernandez competed in the spring track and field season and picked up two state titles for California in the long jump and triple jump. Her victories were protested by other female athletes and parents at the event. Several who took to the podium at a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) board meeting to oppose Hernandez and other trans girls competing wore “Save Girls’ Sports” shirts. Former President Donald Trump also published a post to Truth Social before the state finals that called for California to stop allowing a trans athlete to compete, but did not mention Hernandez by name.

In July, the Biden administration, through the U.S. Department of Justice, filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the CIF over its policies allowing transgender students to compete on girls’ sports teams. This was despite Trump having signed an executive order in February that would prevent such participation.

Instead of practicing and preparing to face other teams, Hernandez and her teammates on the volleyball team are facing forfeits from opponents. The season for the senior athlete is already being defined by a lack of competition and a community divided.

Munoz, a Jurupa Valley parent whose daughter has been teammates with Hernandez for the past three years, said she was frustrated with how things have played out. “It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” Munoz told Fox News Digital.

Parents of Riverside Poly athletes, some of whom spoke at a school board meeting for Riverside Unified School District, and parents of other students in the area took to the podium for a recent Riverside board meeting. Some were supporting the Poly athletes for refusing to play, while others were defending the right of transgender children to play sports in their identified gender.

At the meeting, Nereyda Hernandez criticized board member Amanda Vickers for having spoken to Fox News Digital about the forfeit, saying Vickers had encouraged parents to protest her child. “You actually entertained and welcomed harassment to my child,” she said to Vickers. “You are a board member. You have an oath to protect, to support all children, not just the ones that fit your ideas, your beliefs.”

Nereyda Hernandez, the mother of trans athlete AB Hernandez.

She continued, “This is not about fairness in sports. This is about a handful of people who work full-time to terrify other people with their hate, their discrimination, and their lies. These same people are taking advantage of people’s religious beliefs and getting them to do the work for them, creating division and conflict between parents and parents.”

The mother of the trans athlete contrasted her daughter’s situation with the reality for other girls in school sports. “This has nothing to do with fairness in sports and everything to do with erasing transgender children,” she said. “There is nothing about fairness being argued here. Ask all the other girl athletes I know. They get to play, and they are doing it, not at the expense of other girls, but alongside them.”