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Girls’ volleyball team members from one California high school have learned that two more of their games are being forfeited by their opponents, amid an increasingly heated controversy over one transgender player on their roster.

Maribel Munoz, the mother of a Jurupa Valley High School girls’ volleyball team player, told Fox News Digital that the information was confirmed by coach Liana Manu, who emailed parents of team members to tell them about the latest forfeited games, which are against Rim of the World High School on August 25 and Orange Vista High School on August 29.

The Jurupa Valley Unified School District (JUSD) put out a statement that addressed the latest forfeits, which the district itself did not decide, saying it “understands and acknowledges the disappointment” of JVRG athletes who are “ready and prepared to play.” It added: “Decisions to cancel matches were made by teams in other districts.”

The district further stated that it, along with all schools in the state, is required to adhere to California law that prohibits discrimination based on gender identity. Pointing to Education Code 221.5 (f), it noted that the law “requires all schools in California to allow students to participate on athletic teams that correspond with their gender identity.” It said the guidance is consistent with the California Attorney General Rob Bonta’s and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond’s positions.

“We are proud of our JVHS Jaguars and their willingness to play any team and represent their school and our district with pride,” the district added, noting that it was “committed to working with our athletes and families to schedule future matches to ensure that our students do not miss opportunities to play.”

The latest forfeits follow an earlier August 15 cancellation by Riverside Poly High School, whose girls’ team was scheduled to play the Jurupa Valley High School squad. Parents of some of Riverside Poly’s athletes and one Riverside Unified School District board member told Fox News Digital that their decision not to compete was directly tied to the school’s decision to allow a transgender player on its team.

Senior AB Hernandez, who was assigned male at birth but has played girls’ sports at the school for four years, said she never considered the idea of playing on a boys’ team, even as other athletes were either refusing to play or dropping out. “I’m very happy I get to keep playing with my friends,” Hernandez said at the time. “It feels so nice that my school accepted me and that I get to continue playing the sport I love with them.”

Trans Athlete’s Mother Speaks Out

In a statement to Fox News Digital on Thursday, Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, called for compassion as the situation has continued to escalate.

“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. “I have learned to put myself in the shoes of my child. Ask yourselves how you would want others to treat your daughter.”

Hernandez noted her daughter is “petite, very petite” and said the differences between her daughter and the other athletes on the team are not due to a physical or strength advantage. “If anything, she has worked tirelessly to improve her volleyball skills, and she is amazing at what she does,” Hernandez said.

“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. In fact, she was so excited to play her game that she did not even know about the forfeit until her sister mentioned it to her.”

The controversy is not new for Hernandez, who, during the spring track and field season, took two California state titles for the long jump and triple jump. As the victories piled up, other female athletes and their families were voicing their concerns, some showing up at the state finals wearing “Save Girls’ Sports” shirts.

Ahead of the state finals, former President Donald Trump posted a message to Truth Social decrying California’s policy, in which he urged the state not to allow a transgender athlete to compete, but which did not name Hernandez.

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), its governing body, over a policy that allows transgender athletes to compete in girls’ sports. The move came despite Trump having signed an executive order in February that banned such participation.

For Hernandez, who is a senior and in her last volleyball season as a high school athlete, the interest should be on who is playing, not who is not. Instead, the season is being defined by forfeits and an emboldened schism in the local community.

The Jurupa Valley parent, Munoz, whose daughter has played alongside Hernandez for the past three years, said the lack of resolution as her daughter prepared to play was upsetting. “It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” she said.