California Volleyball Match Sparks Controversy

A California high school volleyball game ignited heated debate when Riverside Poly High forfeited rather than play against a team with a transgender athlete.

Jurupa Valley High’s girls’ squad, which includes trans player AB Hernandez, was scheduled to face Riverside Poly on August 15. Instead, Riverside Poly pulled out. The school later called the decision “disappointing,” but argued it was about ensuring a “safe, positive environment for all student-athletes.”

Parents Point to Hernandez’s Inclusion

Parents quickly told local media the forfeit was tied directly to Hernandez’s participation. They claimed the decision came from school officials—not the student players.

Riverside school board member Amanda Vickers defended the move in an interview with Fox News Digital. She referenced Payton McNabb, a North Carolina player injured in 2022 while facing a transgender athlete. “Tonight, the girls of Riverside Poly High School, they’re not going to end up like Payton McNabb,” she said.

Hernandez’s Mother Pushes BackThat comment drew a sharp response from AB’s mother, Nereyda, at a school board meeting.
“You are a board member. You have an oath to protect all children, not just the ones that fit your beliefs,” she said. “My daughter is not the problem. The problem is external groups using fear and religion to pit parents against each other.”

She continued: “This has nothing to do with fairness in sports and everything to do with erasing transgender children.”

A Pattern of Hostility

Sadly, this isn’t AB’s first experience with hostility. Earlier this year, about 30 adults—including school board members—heckled her at a track meet in Yorba Linda. The jeers grew so loud they caused a false start.