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One of the California high schools that forfeited its volleyball match to another with a trans athlete on its roster provided an explanation for its decision not to play.
Jurupa Valley High School’s girls’ volleyball team has been mired in controversy this season due AB Hernandez, a trans athlete, playing for its squad.
Orange Vista High School, which was scheduled to face Jurupa Valley on Aug. 29, provided Fox News Digital with a statement addressing the forfeit.
“After thoughtful discussions our student-athletes had with coaching staff, it was decided to cancel our upcoming Girls’ Varsity volleyball match against Jurupa Valley High School. This decision was made in conjunction with the athletic directors at both Orange Vista and Jurupa Valley,” the statement read.
“Our priority is always the well-being of our students. We are proud of our athletes for bringing their thoughts forward and for supporting one another to make this a team decision.”
Maribel Munoz, the mother of a female player on Jurupa Valley, 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.
MORE CALIFORNIA GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL VOLLEYBALL TEAMS FORFEIT TO SQUAD WITH TRANS ATHLETE
Jurupa Valley also addressed the forfeits in a previous 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.”
The national spotlight on Jurupa Valley’s girls’ volleyball team began when Riverside Poly High School announced it forfeited their Aug. 15 matchup. Multiple parents of Riverside Poly players, as well as a school board member, told Fox News Digital the forfeit was in response Hernandez being on Jurupa Valley’s roster.
Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, addressed the situation 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.”
Nereyda Hernandez added that what sets her “baby” 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,” Nereyda Hernandez continued.
“Finally, I leave you with this: My child is so innocent, she didn’t even realize the forfeited games were because of her.”
In July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education (CDE) and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) for its policies that allowed biological males to compete in girls’ sports across the state, which went against President Donald Trump’s executive order signed in February to prohibit it.
Hernandez is a senior at Jurupa Valley, making this the final high school volleyball season for the athlete.
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.
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