A high school volleyball match in California has become a national flashpoint, not for the action on the court, but for the game that never happened. When the girls’ team from Jurupa Valley High School arrived to play Riverside Poly High, they were met with a forfeit. The opposing team refused to compete because Jurupa Valley’s roster included a transgender athlete, 17-year-old AB Hernandez. The decision, made by school officials and not the players, has ignited a fierce debate about fairness, inclusion, and the very purpose of school sports.
In the wake of the forfeit, AB’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, broke her public silence with powerful emotion at a school board meeting. Addressing a board member who defended the forfeit by invoking safety concerns, Nereyda stated, “You are a board member. You have an oath to protect all children, not just the ones that fit your beliefs.” She framed the issue not as one of athletic equity, but of basic dignity, arguing that external political groups were using fear to marginalize transgender youth. For her family, this was not about sports policy alone; it was about the right of her child to exist and participate in public life without being singled out and excluded.
AB Hernandez is described by her family as a typical teenager who loves school and sports. However, her participation has been met with significant hostility long before this volleyball match. Earlier this year, she was loudly heckled by dozens of adults at a track meet, causing a disruption so severe it led to a false start. At postseason events, protesters have gathered wearing politically charged apparel, creating an atmosphere the young athlete has had to navigate just to compete. AB has expressed her frustration, telling media, “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.”
The controversy has rapidly escalated beyond the local level, drawing commentary from national political figures and becoming entangled in wider legal battles. This political amplification, while bringing attention to the case, has also intensified the scrutiny and pressure on AB and her family. Her mother contends that the loud political debate obscures the simple, human reality: a child is being denied the opportunity to play with her peers based on her gender identity. The family’s fight is fundamentally for AB to be treated as any other student-athlete, with the chance to learn teamwork, build confidence, and enjoy the camaraderie of her sport.
As the Hernandez family vows to continue advocating for AB’s right to compete, their story raises profound questions for communities everywhere. It challenges us to examine where the line is between competitive fairness and discriminatory exclusion, and what responsibility schools have to foster environments where all students feel they belong. The forfeited volleyball game is a symbol of a much larger conflict, one that will likely continue to play out in gymnasiums, school boards, and courts across the country.
