She is not happy! 😮

A high school volleyball match in Riverside, California, has ignited statewide debate after Riverside Poly High School forfeited rather than compete against Jurupa Valley High’s girls’ team, which includes transgender athlete AB Hernandez. The scheduled August 15 game was abruptly called off, with Riverside Poly officials citing the need to maintain a “safe, positive environment for all student-athletes.”

Parents, however, quickly tied the decision to Hernandez’s participation. Several told local outlets the choice came from school officials rather than the players themselves. Riverside school board member Amanda Vickers defended the forfeit in an interview with *Fox News Digital*, pointing to the 2022 injury of North Carolina athlete Payton McNabb, who was struck during competition against a transgender player. “Tonight, the girls of Riverside Poly High School, they’re not going to end up like Payton McNabb,” Vickers said.

The remark drew a sharp response from Hernandez’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. This has nothing to do with fairness in sports and everything to do with erasing transgender children.”

This incident is not the first time Hernandez has faced hostility. Earlier this year, she was heckled by about 30 adults—including school board members—during a track meet in Yorba Linda, with the jeers so loud they triggered a false start. At postseason events, protesters wearing “Save Girls Sports” shirts also targeted her, which school officials compared to hate symbols.

The debate has now escalated into national politics. Former President Donald Trump threatened on Truth Social to cut funding for California schools that allow transgender athletes in girls’ sports. His administration also filed a lawsuit earlier this summer, arguing state rules unfairly disadvantage female athletes.

Despite the uproar, Hernandez’s family remains resolute. “My daughter deserves to play, just like every other child,” her mother said. For them, Riverside Poly’s forfeit is just another obstacle in a much larger fight for acceptance and inclusion.