Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team in California has seen at least 10 matches forfeited this season amid a national row over the inclusion of a transgender player.
The team, which is unbeaten in league play, has become the centre of a growing debate over gender participation in school sports as several rival schools refuse to take the court against them.
Over the weekend, Los Osos High School pulled out of a neutral tournament match against Jurupa Valley, while Patriot High School forfeited its varsity fixture on Monday, the second time it has done so this season.
Both junior varsity and freshman matches went ahead.
The decisions have been confirmed by officials and are recorded as forfeits on MaxPreps, the high school sports tracking website. Neither school has issued a public explanation.
A message sent by Jurupa Valley head coach Liana Manu to players and parents, obtained by Fox News, stated: “Patriot will be forfeiting varsity but lower levels will be playing. We already expected it.”
Patriot and Jurupa Valley share a district and league, meaning the forfeits keep Jurupa Valley’s record perfect ahead of their final regular-season match against Norte Vista High School.
Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team in California has seen at least 10 matches forfeited this season amid a national row over the inclusion of a transgender player
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The controversy surrounds Jurupa Valley player AB Hernandez, a transgender athlete whose participation has divided local communities.
Two senior players, Alyssa McPherson and Hadeel Hazameh, left the team earlier this year in protest and, along with McPherson’s sister Madison, have filed a lawsuit against the Jurupa Unified School District.
The complaint centres on what they describe as the district’s failure to address their concerns over locker room use and competition fairness.
AB Hernandez's inclusion in the roster has sparked fury in America | GETTYAt least eight other southern California schools, including Riverside Poly, Orange Vista, Rim of the World, Yucaipa and San Dimas, have also refused to play Jurupa Valley this season.
Officials have not cited specific reasons, but the timing aligns with heightened political and social tensions around transgender participation in women’s sports.
Hernandez first drew national attention in spring 2024 after winning the girls’ high jump and triple jump at the California state championships.
The victories came just days after President Donald Trump warned state officials not to allow “biological males” to compete in girls’ events.
The California Interscholastic Federation responded by altering its medal policy, allowing female athletes who finished behind a transgender competitor to share or move up a podium place.
That policy shift sparked a federal lawsuit from the US Department of Justice, which accused the CIF and the California Department of Education of failing to comply with Trump’s “Keeping Men Out of Women’s Sports” executive order.
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AB Hernandez is a divisive figure in America | GETTYGovernor Gavin Newsom later said the issue was beyond his direct control, explaining that CIF and the CDE are independent bodies governed by existing state law.
He added that any legislative change would require a new bill from the state assembly.
Efforts to alter that law failed in April when California’s Democratic majority blocked two bills seeking to restrict transgender athletes’ participation in girls’ sports.
Assembly member Rick Chavez Zbur compared the measures to Nazi-era persecution, prompting outrage from some lawmakers.
In July, Newsom admitted he was “amazingly frustrated” by the controversy, acknowledging that even parents who support transgender rights have questioned the fairness of current sports policies.
“Everywhere I went, people said, ‘It’s so unfair,’” he said in an interview. “We’ve got to figure this out.”
Jurupa Valley are expected to qualify for the postseason, though further forfeits appear likely as the debate continues to cast a long shadow over school sports in California.