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Two additional games have been forfeited against a girls’ California high school volleyball team because of a transgender athlete on the team, according to the mother of one of the players and an announcement from the coach, as an already heated controversy escalates.

Maribel Munoz, mother of a Jurupa Valley High School girls’ volleyball team player, confirmed the news after coach Liana Manu alerted parents of the two upcoming games that would be forfeited. The two forfeits, which were by opposing teams, are against Rim of the World High School on Aug. 25 and Orange Vista High School on Aug. 29.

Jurupa Valley Unified School District (JUSD) released a statement in response to the recent forfeits, clarifying that it was not the district that decided to cancel the matches. “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 said.

It added that the district is following the law of the state of California, which prohibits discrimination against students for their gender identity. “Under Education Code 221.5 (f), schools must allow students to participate on athletic teams that are consistent with their gender identity,” the statement said. The guidance, the district said, is also supported by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and the 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,” the district added, saying it was working to reschedule games so that athletes would not miss games.

The latest forfeits follow one by Riverside Poly High School that decided to back out of an Aug. 15 game against Jurupa Valley, according to parents of the players and a local school board member who told Fox News Digital that the reason for the forfeit was the transgender student on the team, senior AB Hernandez.

Mother of Trans Athlete Speaks Out

In a statement to Fox News Digital, Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, asked for people to show compassion toward her daughter and others like her. “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,” Hernandez said.

She said her daughter is petite and that she is not bigger or stronger than the other girls on the team. “If that is your issue, know that she will not be scoring goals or crossing them in for anyone. What makes my child different is neither size nor strength, but the ability to jump farther than most,” Hernandez added.

She went on to say that while Hernandez is a transgender girl, “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.” Hernandez’s mother said that as a parent, she has not even had to inform her daughter that the games were forfeited over her participation.

AB Hernandez has previously been in the national spotlight. Hernandez, who also plays track and field, captured two California state championships this past spring, first in the long jump and then in the triple jump. The victories prompted protests by female athletes and their parents, many of whom wore shirts that read “Save Girls’ Sports.” Former President Donald Trump, who has been vocal on the issue of trans athletes, posted a warning on his Truth Social platform ahead of the state final, saying California should not allow a trans athlete to compete. He did not, however, specifically mention Hernandez.

In July, the U.S. Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) over the state’s policy allowing transgender athletes to compete on girls’ teams, despite an executive order Trump signed in February to block such participation.

As for Hernandez, she should be focused on playing volleyball and contending in the state for her final season. Instead, she will likely be remembered for the forfeits, as the season that she played was already delayed last season because of COVID-19, and now is being defined by forfeits and a community in turmoil.

Munoz, a Jurupa Valley parent whose daughter has been teammates with Hernandez for three years, said she was disgusted with how the situation has been handled.

“It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” she said.

Munoz was among the parents who were part of a Riverside Unified School District school board meeting in which parents who support Riverside Poly athletes who backed out of a game and those who support transgender kids who want to play both addressed the meeting. It was also at that meeting that Nereyda Hernandez criticized board member Amanda Vickers, who previously talked to Fox News Digital, for backing the forfeit and agreeing to let her daughter be harassed.