A California high school girls’ volleyball team forfeited a match on Friday night against a team believed to include a transgender athlete.
Riverside Poly High School in Riverside County announced the forfeit against Jurupa Valley High School in a statement.
“Riverside Poly High School’s girls volleyball team will not take the court for tonight’s scheduled game against Jurupa Valley High School,” the statement read.
“This match will be recorded as a forfeit in non-league standings. We understand this is disappointing for our athletes, families, and supporters, and we appreciate the community’s understanding. We remain committed to providing a safe, positive environment for all student-athletes throughout the season.”
The statement did not provide a reason for the forfeit.
Multiple parents of Riverside Poly players told Fox News Digital that the forfeit was meant as a protest over fairness and safety in girls’ sports, as Jurupa Valley’s team includes transgender athlete AB Hernandez.
“The decision was not about hatred or anything negative. Trans people still have rights, but not a right to play sports against the opposite sex,” said Fred Brayton, father of a Riverside Poly player.
“It is not about AB. It is about women needing to play against other women. It is about boys participating in girls’ sports. The small minority of the community that thinks we are discriminating have it wrong. You can be trans all day long, but you can’t be a boy and play girls’ sports. You can still go about being trans, but probably need to focus on that and not playing sports against the opposite sex,” Brayton said, noting that the decision not to play was made by the Riverside Poly players.
An anonymous mother of a Riverside Poly junior varsity player said her daughter had been offered the chance to move up to varsity to compete against Jurupa Valley. However, she said she would not allow her daughter to play against Hernandez.
“Two reasons: for her safety, number one… and two, men shouldn’t be in women’s sports,” the mother said. “I’m not willing to risk her safety because [Hernandez] wants to play on a girls’ team… so this is a pretty good message. I think it’s pretty bold of these girls and their parents to care enough to forfeit the game to make that statement.”
Amanda Vickers, a member of the Riverside Unified School District board, told Fox News Digital that she believes the forfeit was in response to a transgender athlete on Jurupa Valley’s roster.
“A decision was made that the students didn’t want to [play],” Vickers said. “I did get a message yesterday that there [were] parents [of players] wearing ‘Save Girls Sports’ shirts. So they were kind of prepared for a protest today.”
Vickers added that she believes the forfeit was significant for the safety of female athletes, citing former high school volleyball player Payton McNabb, who suffered permanent brain damage after being struck in the head by a spike from a transgender athlete in 2022.
“What this is about is there is a difference between biological girls and biological boys. And tonight, the girls of Riverside Poly High School—they’re not going to end up like Payton McNabb,” Vickers said.
Jurupa Unified School District issued a statement to Fox News Digital regarding the forfeit:
“We were notified that Riverside Poly High School canceled today’s scheduled girls volleyball match with Jurupa Valley High School. They did not disclose the reason. We have no additional comment at this time,” the statement read.
Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, posted a statement on social media after news of the forfeit surfaced, seemingly referencing California state law that has allowed trans athletes to compete in girls’ sports since 2014.
“When we follow California law and school policies, especially those that protect the rights of ALL students, we are more than just rule-followers. We are respectful, inclusive, and principled citizens. Even when others choose to be a negative influence, we stand for fairness, dignity, and equality,” Nereyda wrote.
“It’s not always easy, but doing the right thing matters, especially when it supports those who are often marginalized or misunderstood. By choosing respect and inclusion, we help build a school and a society where everyone feels safe, valued, and seen. No matter what challenges come our way, we will continue to respect one another, and each other’s families, with compassion and understanding.”
Riverside became a flashpoint for controversy over trans athletes in girls’ sports last year, during Hernandez’s widely publicized season and following a lawsuit filed by two students at Martin Luther King High School. The lawsuit alleged that a trans athlete had taken one of the girls’ varsity spots on the cross-country team.
In response, students at the school began wearing “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts each week, which school administrators allegedly compared to swastikas, according to the lawsuit.
Hernandez drew national media attention in May during the athlete’s run to a California girls track and field championship.
Female spectators wear “Protect Girls Sports” shirts during the CIF Southern Section D3 Track and Field meet at Nathan Shapell Memorial Stadium in Yorba Linda, California, on May 10, 2025.
The postseason meets Hernandez competed in were met with protests by female athletes and their families, many of whom wore “Save Girls Sports” shirts.
Hernandez’s performances seemingly drew a response from former President Donald Trump, who posted a Truth Social message the week leading up to the state final urging California not to allow a trans athlete to compete. Trump did not mention Hernandez by name.
At the state meet, Hernandez won championships in the girls high jump and triple jump. The event also saw an LGBTQ protester arrested for allegedly assaulting a conservative activist, while a plane flew overhead carrying a banner reading, “No boys in girls’ sports.”
In response to Trump’s warning, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) amended its policies in the days before the event to ensure that any female athlete finishing behind a trans athlete at the championship would be moved up one spot. As a result, Hernandez shared the first-place podium positions in the high jump and triple jump, and took second place in the long jump.
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) and CIF over policies allowing biological males to compete in girls’ sports statewide, despite a February executive order signed by Trump aiming to prohibit it.
Hernandez was later honored by state Sen. Sabrina Cervantes at the Jurupa City Council on August 7. Cervantes presented Hernandez with two certificates on behalf of the California State Senate and delivered a speech recognizing the athlete’s championships.
A bipartisan survey conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California found that a majority of state residents oppose biological male trans athletes competing in women’s sports.
“Most Californians support requiring transgender athletes to compete on teams matching the sex they were assigned at birth,” the poll stated.
“Solid majorities of adults (65%) and likely voters (64%) support requiring that transgender athletes compete on teams that match the sex they were assigned at birth, not the gender they identify with. An overwhelming majority of public school parents (71%) support such a requirement.”
