Girls’ Volleyball Game Forfeited Over Transgender Athlete Controversy

Last Friday, the girls’ volleyball team from Riverside Poly High School chose to forfeit their match against Jurupa Valley High School amid heated debates surrounding transgender athletes in sports.

Parents indicated that the decision was linked to the presence of trans player AB Hernandez on the opposing team. Supporters of the forfeit argued that allowing Hernandez to compete was unfair to female athletes, while others defended the rights of transgender students to participate in sports consistent with their gender identity.

The controversy prompted a tense debate at a local school board meeting, where parents voiced strong opinions. One mother, Nereyda Hernandez, defended her daughter AB and criticized board member Amanda Vickers for her comments about the situation, condemning harassment and emphasizing the need to protect all children regardless of gender identity.

Parents debating transgender athletes during a school board meeting. — The Riverside Unified School District board faced intense discussion after the volleyball team forfeited a match due to a transgender player’s involvement.

Supporters like Maria Correo applauded the Riverside Poly girls for standing their ground, criticizing what they perceive as efforts to support transgender athletes at the expense of female competitors.

This incident is part of a broader controversy in Riverside over transgender participation in girls’ sports, which gained national attention last year, especially after a lawsuit claimed a trans athlete took a varsity spot on a cross-country team. Students also protested the district’s policies by wearing “Save Girls Sports” shirts, some of which allegedly drew negative responses from administrators.

Some local voices, including Sandy R., advocate for policies that would exclude trans athletes from girls’ teams, citing compliance with state laws and the lawsuit. Former President Donald Trump also weighed in, hinting at potential funding restrictions on districts not aligning with certain transgender policies.

Nationally, these issues continue to generate debate, with recent polls showing a significant majority of Californians, including over 70% of parents, supporting participation policies that match the sex assigned at birth rather than gender identity.