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A girls’ high school volleyball team in California saw two more games on its schedule forfeited amid an ongoing controversy involving a trans athlete on its roster.
Maribel Munoz, the mother of a female player on Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team, provided Fox News Digital copies of messages sent by the team’s coach, Liana Manu, to parents of players, informing them that the team’s upcoming games against Rim of the World High School on Aug. 25 and Orange Vista High School on Aug. 29 had been forfeited.
Jurupa Valley addressed the forfeits in a statement to Fox News Digital.
“We understand and acknowledge the disappointment of our Jurupa Valley High School athletes who are ready and prepared to play. Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts,” the statement read.
“As a public school district in California, JUSD is compelled to follow the law, which protects students from discrimination based on gender identity and requires that students be permitted to participate on athletic teams that are consistent with their gender identity (California Education Code 221.5 (f)). This is consistent with the guidance provided by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.
“We are proud of our JVHS Jaguars and their willingness to play any team and represent their school and our district with pride. We are currently working to find additional matches to give them that opportunity.”
Fox News Digital has reached out to Rim of the World and Orange Vista for comment.
National attention was thrust back onto Jurupa Valley High School when Riverside Poly High School’s girls’ volleyball team announced it forfeited an Aug. 15 game in a statement. Multiple parents of Riverside Poly players, and a school board member, told Fox News Digital the forfeit was in response to the trans athlete on Jurupa Valley, AB Hernandez.
Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, addressed the recent controversy in an exclusive statement to Fox News Digital.
“I understand the discomfort some may feel, because I was once there, too. The difference is, I chose to learn, to grow, and to open my heart,” she said.
“Believe me, I know some people genuinely don’t understand what it means to be transgender. I’m still learning too, right alongside my child. That is why I choose not to respond with anger or disrespect. Instead, I choose empathy, because learning takes time, and compassion makes all the difference.”
TRANS VOLLEYBALL PLAYER INCIDENT UNLEASHES PARADE OF ANGRY PARENTS ON ILLINOIS SCHOOL BOARD MEETING
The statement continued, “My baby is petite, what sets her apart is not her size or strength, but her skill and the way she plays the game… This is a child, and I can assure you that she sees your daughters as peers, as teammates, as friends, not through a lens of anything inappropriate. I know it may be hard to understand, but she is just another girl who wants to play.
“Finally, I leave you with this: My child is so innocent, she didn’t even realize the forfeited games were because of her.
Jurupa Valley and Hernandez were previously the subject of national scrutiny during the spring track and field season, when the trans athlete made a run to two girls’ state titles in long jump and triple jump.
The postseason meets that Hernandez competed in were met with protests by female athletes and their families who often wore the “Save Girls Sports” shirts. The incidents appeared to draw a response from President Donald Trump, who posted a Truth Social message the week leading up to the state final advising the state not to allow a trans athlete to compete. However, Trump did not directly reference Hernandez directly in the post.
Then, in July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) and CIF for its policies that have allowed biological males to compete in girls’ sports across the state despite Trump signing an executive order in February to prohibit it.
Now, Hernandez, a senior, is in the midst of the athlete’s final high school volleyball season, which is being wrought with even more controversy amid the growing string of forfeits.
Munoz, who says her daughter has played alongside Hernandez on the girls’ volleyball team for the last three years, is the first parent of one of the trans athlete’s teammates to speak out against the school for its handling of the situation.
“It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” Munoz told Fox News Digital.
After the Riverside Poly forfeit, local parents showed up to the Riverside Unified School District board meeting on Thursday to speak out in support of the girls who forfeited and against the school district for its current gender policies, while others spoke in support of trans athletes in girls’ sports.
Nereyda Hernandez, showed up to defend AB’s right to play in girls’ sports, and condemned board member Amanda Vickers for previously interviewing with Fox News Digital about the forfeit last week.
“Amanda Vickers, you interviewed with Fox. You actually entertained and welcomed harassment to my child. You are a board member. You have an oath to protect, to support all children, not just the ones that fit your ideas, your beliefs,” Hernandez said.
“When you allow or tolerate targeted harassment, whether online, in person or allowing false narratives to be spread at board meetings, you are only failing morally.
“My daughter is not the problem. The problem is coordinated external efforts often led by individuals that travel from district to district… to spread fear and put parents against each other using religion as a shield for discrimination. This has nothing to do with fairness in sports and everything to do with erasing transgender children.”
One mother, Maria Correo, spoke in support of the Riverside Poly players and condemned parents enabling male children to play in girls’ sports.
“The girls, great job. Poly girls, we stand with you. Keep fighting, because these parents that support their confused child are the problem,” Correo said. “If my child was on drugs, I would love him, but guess what? I would tell him the truth; drugs are bad for you. I would not feed him more drugs.”
The Jurupa Valley girls’ volleyball regular season is set to run through the middle of October.
Meanwhile, Trump has not taken his eye off California for its defiance of Title IX with the DOJ’s lawsuit now in motion. The president warned California and Gov. Gavin Newsom about the state’s transgender policies in a post on Truth Social on Thursday.
“Any California school district that doesn’t adhere to our Transgender policies, will not be funded. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” Trump wrote in the post.
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