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Two additional games for a California girls’ high school volleyball team have been scratched from their schedule following forfeits by opponents, escalating an ongoing controversy over a transgender player on the squad.

Maribel Munoz, a parent of one of the players on Jurupa Valley High School’s girls volleyball team, confirmed the forfeits to Fox News Digital after being notified by the team’s coach, Liana Manu. The forfeits are by Rim of the World High School, scheduled for Aug. 25, and by Orange Vista High School, set for Aug. 29.

In a statement, Jurupa Valley Unified School District (JUSD) said the forfeits were not by its choice, nor the choice of the players. “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.

The district further clarified that it is following state law when it comes to its obligation not to discriminate against a student for their gender identity, including allowing them to play on teams that match their gender identity. In a portion of the Education Code 221.5 (f), it states “the governing board of a school district shall not limit a student’s ability to participate in an athletic team that is consistent with the student’s gender identity.”

“We stand by the guidance provided to us by California Attorney General Rob Bonta and State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond,” JUSD’s statement added.

“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’s statement concluded. “We are working with all of our teams and the CIF to reschedule games so that our athletes have the opportunity to play.”

The forfeits are the latest surrounding the team. Riverside Poly High School forfeited a game earlier this month against Jurupa Valley, set for Aug. 15. A parent of one of the Riverside Poly players and a member of the district’s school board both confirmed to Fox News Digital the decision was made in response to the inclusion of the transgender player on Jurupa Valley’s team, senior AB Hernandez.

Mother of Trans Athlete Responds to Backlash Over Missing Games

In response to the backlash she and her family have faced, Hernandez’s mother, Nereyda Hernandez, shared a statement. “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.

Hernandez’s daughter is not big or muscular, she said, as she has a petite build. “What makes her different is not size, strength, or skill – it is her gender identity,” she added.

“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 explained. “She’s 18 years old and has played with my daughter for years. She had no idea these games were forfeited because of her participation on the team.”

Hernandez has been in the national spotlight before. Hernandez said she won two state titles in California during the spring track and field season, in the long jump and triple jump events. This came after female athletes and their parents raised objections to the idea that a transgender girl could compete, including wearing “Save Girls’ Sports” shirts to the event. Former President Donald Trump also commented on the state finals in a Truth Social post, telling California not to allow a trans girl to compete in the state finals, though he did not name Hernandez.

In July, the Biden administration announced a lawsuit against the California Department of Education and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), which oversees high school sports in the state, for allowing trans girls to participate on girls’ teams. This followed an executive order Trump signed in February that tried to ban such participation.

In a recent video posted to Instagram, Hernandez, a three-sport athlete, said volleyball is her favorite sport. This year is her senior season, but in a post to Instagram, she wrote: “I’ve been waiting all my life for this season,” she wrote. “Nothing can take that away from me. #PlayFair.”

Instead, she is already missing games this season, and her team faces the possibility of more. Munoz, a Jurupa Valley parent who said her daughter has played for years with Hernandez on the JV team, told Fox News Digital she had strong words when her daughter first came out to her as transgender, but now feels that decision has been twisted into something hateful.

“It makes me feel sad, it makes me feel angry, frustrated, just so many emotions,” Munoz said. “We didn’t take her side away from her. We just wanted her to understand, just sit and talk to her.”

Jurupa Valley board meetings have been drawing some of the parents at odds. In one recent Riverside Unified School District meeting, some parents were on the side of the Riverside Poly athletes in refusing to play, while others were there to speak up for the rights of trans students to play.

The Jurupa Valley volleyball team’s regular season is scheduled to go into mid-October. With additional forfeits still possible, the players are in the middle of a heated national discussion that doesn’t appear to be letting up.

Trump is also stepping back into the fight. In a recent Truth Social post, the former president issued another warning to California and specifically to Gov. Gavin Newsom and local school districts in the state. “We will not fund any more schools that do not adhere to the policies of our Administration about transgender students!” Trump wrote.

The players and their parents find themselves in the middle of a state law, conflicting federal directives, and political pressure, while a community becomes more divided on the issue by the day.