Eight high school volleyball teams in California have reportedly forfeited to Jurupa Valley High School, which rosters the well-known transgender athlete, AB Hernandez.
Newsweek has reached out to Jurupa Valley High School and to the Jurupa Unified School District outside of regular working hours via email for comment.
Why It Matters
The conversation about transgender women in sport has been playing out across social media for years, and now it has become one of the most significant culture wars entrenched in modern society, being seen across the world.
Since his return to office, President Donald Trump has taken multiple steps to unravel protections for transgender people, including signing an executive order that banned transgender female athletes from competing in women’s or girls’ sports, and he has also targeted access to transgender youth healthcare.
California has moved to safeguard transgender people following the anti-transgender executive orders and has continued to allow transgender athletes to continue competing in school sports, a move that has, in turn, seen anger from the Trump administration.
What To Know
The Jurupa Unified School District recently confirmed in a statement to Fox News that the Patriot High School has forfeited an upcoming match to the Jurupa Valley High School.
Jurupa Valley previously saw three forfeits in one weekend at the Freeway Games tournament, as Aquinas High School, San Dimas High School, and Yucaipa High School all refused to play Jurupa Valley. Before this, the teams AB Miller High School, Orange Vista High School, Rim of the World High School, and Riverside Poly High School had all forfeited to Jurupa Valley.
Speaking to The Guardian in June shortly after the President had posted on social media about her, Hernandez said: “I can tune it out pretty well. I don’t really care. It’s weird when reporters come, and I’m like, I forgot I’m famous now… But for the most part, I’m living a normal life, and then I go on social media and, I’m like, wait, I’m known.”
Hernandez’s mother has also spoken to the media, telling KCAL News in early September that she is “grateful” for the teams that have not forfeited. So far, two teams have competed against Hernadez.
Her mother said that “as a mom, it means a lot. Those girls mean a lot because I know it helps AB get through these hard times.”
A lawsuit has been filed against the Jurupa Unified School District, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), and the California Department of Education (CDE) by three current and former volleyball teammates of Hernandez, over the experience of sharing a locker room with a transgender athlete.
People on both sides of the debate have waded in online, as political division in America remains high.
What People Are Saying
@secrttACgoose, in a TikTok viewed over 400,000 times: “As an athlete I look up to trans athletes. Imagine getting protested by the world for doing something you love and being unapologetically yourself.”
AB Hernandez, while speaking to The Guardian: “They see how hard I train. I constantly watch [myself] on film, see what I can do better. I probably do 10 times more than any athlete at my school. They see that, and the media doesn’t. They have a lot of respect for me and I don’t get hate at my own school.”
@bourne_beth2345 in a post on X viewed 25,000 times: “Patriot High School in SoCal is the 8th girls’ volleyball team, and first in-league team, to forfeit against Jurupa Valley HS with male athlete Ab Hernandez. Bless the coaches and parents for defending their girls!”
Jennifer Sey, founder and CEO of XX-XY Athletics, in a post on X viewed 250,000 times: “AB Hernandez has now decided that stealing opportunities from girls in track & field was not enough. He has now taken the place of a girl on his school’s volleyball team as well. Opposing teams have had enough. The forfeits continue. Yes, even in CA people are tired of this.”
What’s Next