She is not happy! 😱👇

A recent California high school volleyball match has ignited controversy after Riverside Poly High School forfeited a game against Jurupa Valley High because the opposing team included transgender athlete AB Hernandez. The match, scheduled for August 15, was meant to proceed normally, but Riverside Poly’s decision to pull out sparked debates about fairness, inclusion, and safety in school sports.

Jurupa Valley, which fields Hernandez on its girls’ volleyball team, expressed disappointment over the forfeit, emphasizing that they aim to provide a “safe, positive environment for all student-athletes.” However, parents and community members say the decision was directly linked to Hernandez’s participation and came from school officials rather than the teenage players themselves.

Amanda Vickers, a Riverside school board member, defended the move in an interview, citing a 2022 incident in North Carolina where a player, Payton McNabb, was injured during a match against a transgender athlete. “Tonight, the girls of Riverside Poly High School, they’re not going to end up like Payton McNabb,” Vickers said. Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda, strongly opposed that rationale, stating 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. My daughter is not the problem.” She added, “This has nothing to do with fairness in sports and everything to do with erasing transgender children.”

AB Hernandez has previously faced hostility. Earlier this year, she was heckled by roughly 30 adults at a track meet, leading to a false start. She has also been protested at postseason events by parents wearing “Save Girls Sports” T-shirts, which school officials have compared to hate symbols. Despite the scrutiny, Hernandez has remained steadfast, telling CBS News Los Angeles, “People just see one thing and that’s what you are. They swear I’m like this crazy danger to society. I’m just a normal kid going to school, playing sports.”

The issue has now drawn national attention. Former President Donald Trump commented on the controversy via Truth Social, threatening to cut funding to California schools that allow transgender athletes in girls’ sports, and his administration filed a lawsuit against state officials earlier this summer.

For the Hernandez family, the political spotlight only complicates everyday life. “My daughter deserves to play, just like every other child,” Nereyda said. With Riverside Poly’s forfeit adding another chapter to this ongoing struggle, the family continues to advocate for AB’s right to compete and be treated fairly in school athletics.