Eight high school volleyball teams in California have forfeited matches against Jurupa Valley High School, whose roster includes transgender athlete AB Hernandez, in a development that has intensified the debate over transgender participation in school sports.
Jurupa Unified School District confirmed in a statement to Fox News that Patriot High School is the latest team to withdraw from an upcoming match against Jurupa Valley.
It follows a string of previous forfeits, with Aquinas High School, San Dimas High School, and Yucaipa High School all refusing to play Jurupa Valley during the same weekend at the Freeway Games tournament.
Earlier in the season, AB Miller High School, Orange Vista High School, Rim of the World High School, and Riverside Poly High School had also chosen not to take the court.
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The unprecedented sequence of forfeitures has become one of the most high-profile examples in the ongoing national conversation about transgender athletes in youth sports.
California allows transgender students to compete in school sports in line with their gender identity, a stance that has drawn criticism from political opponents, including President Donald Trump, who has signed executive orders aimed at restricting transgender participation in women’s and girls’ sports at the national level.
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Eight high school volleyball teams in California have forfeited matches against Jurupa Valley High School, whose roster includes transgender athlete AB Hernandez, in a development that has intensified the debate over transgender participation in school sports
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Jurupa Valley has played just two matches this season against teams willing to compete.
Hernandez’s mother told KCAL News earlier this month that she is grateful for those teams, saying: “As a mum, it means a lot.
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AB Hernandez's inclusion in the roster has sparked fury in America
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“Those girls mean a lot because I know it helps AB get through these hard times.”
Hernandez has previously spoken publicly about the attention surrounding participation in high school volleyball.
Speaking to The Guardian in June, 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.”
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AB Hernandez is a divisive figure in America
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The controversy comes as three current and former Jurupa Valley volleyball players have filed a lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District, the California Interscholastic Federation, and the California Department of Education, citing concerns about sharing a locker room with a transgender athlete.
The case is expected to test California’s legal protections for transgender students and could have implications for school sports policy nationwide.
Reactions to the wave of forfeitures have been divided, with some parents and advocacy groups praising the schools for taking a stand, while others argue the decisions unfairly penalise students and undermine competitive integrity.
Social media commentary has reflected America’s wider political polarisation on the issue, with heated exchanges between those defending inclusion and those calling for stricter eligibility rules.
The standoff over high school volleyball in California shows no sign of cooling, with further matches on Jurupa Valley’s calendar and pressure mounting on governing bodies to clarify policy and protect student welfare on both sides of the debate.
How the situation plays out, as the season progresses, remains to be seen.