This past Saturday, California’s high school athletic integrity faced another blow as AB Hernandez, a male athlete identifying as female, advanced to the CIF Southern Section Finals in the high jump, long jump, and triple jump—displacing three girls in the process. His participation, sanctioned by the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) under its controversial gender identity policy, is generating outrage from students, parents, school board members, and community leaders who say the policy is not just unfair—it’s unlawful.
California Family Council Outreach Coordinator Sophia Lorey, a former collegiate athlete herself, organized a press conference prior to the semifinal event at Yorba Linda High School to highlight the real-life consequences of CIF’s policy. Flanked by female athletes and courageous community advocates, Lorey stated unequivocally: “This is not inclusion. This is not progress. This is erasure.”
Three Events, Three Girls Denied
Hernandez’s performance was dominant: he tied in the high jump with eight other girls with the top height, he placed 3rd in the long jump, and 1st in the triple jump—soaring more than four feet beyond the nearest female competitor. Only the top nine athletes in each event advanced, meaning three girls were bumped out of a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete at the CIF Southern Section Finals. These athletes lost not just medals or rankings, but potentially scholarships, career momentum, and the hard-earned dignity of fair competition.
Athletes Speak Out: “This Isn’t Fair”
Among those speaking out were Reese Hogan and Olivia Viola—female athletes forced to compete against Hernandez.
“Men and women are biologically different. Period,” said Hogan. “Allowing a male to compete in a female sport is taking away opportunities from hardworking girls… CIF, step up and do what’s right and protect and save girls sports.”
Viola echoed the sentiment:
“Athletics were split into men’s and women’s decades ago. Why, if not, because there is an obvious and unfair advantage that biological males have against women. We’re disheartened by the adults who are not willing to stand up for the rights of biological females in high school athletics.”
Their message was clear: they’re not asking for special treatment, just fair treatment.
Parents, Teachers, and Board Members Join the Chorus
The event drew support from influential voices across California:
- Jessica Tapia, a former P.E. teacher fired for upholding her Christian convictions by refusing to let males into the girl’s locker room, pointed out the law CIF hides behind—AB 1266, the School Success and Opportunity Act—is “blatant cheating and, quite frankly, criminal.”
- Dan and Kaitlyn Slavin, a father-daughter duo from King High School, are plaintiffs in a lawsuit against CIF’s policy. “It goes far beyond the track,” said Dan, “our daughters are missing out on experiences, not just medals.”
- Sonja Shaw, President of Chino Valley Unified, delivered a defiant speech against the “political cartel” running California: “This madness—when young women are forced to compete against men—is setting fire to the rights we fought so hard to secure under Title IX.”
- Leandra Blades, a Placentia-Yorba Linda USD Trustee, highlighted how teachers union-backed board members refused to support her resolution to protect girls’ sports. “Men should not be participating in women’s sports. End of story.”
Federal Law vs. California Policy
Though CIF claims inclusion, Title IX of federal law guarantees equal opportunity for female athletes—not co-ed participation. Recent federal court rulings have affirmed that biological sex—not gender identity—is the basis for Title IX protections.
Alison Foote of the Independent Council on Women’s Sports (ICONS) referenced a CIF memo from years past where officials acknowledged the “far-reaching unintended consequences” of their gender identity policy. “They knew this was a bad idea,” she said, “but pushed it anyway.”
In April 2025, the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association (NIAA) adopted a new policy requiring student-athletes to participate in sports based on their biological sex, as indicated on their original birth certificate. This marked a reversal from the state’s prior policy, which allowed athletes to compete according to their gender identity. The change aligns Nevada with a growing number of states seeking to preserve fairness in girls’ and women’s sports. Meanwhile, California continues to permit male athletes who identify as female to compete in girls’ events, increasingly placing female athletes at a disadvantage.
The Path Forward: Legislation, Litigation, and Public Pressure
Lorey and others called on Californians to sign a petition urging CIF to:
- Clarify policies to align with federal Title IX standards,
- Reserve girls’ sports for females, and
- Restore fairness and safety in high school athletics.
Within days, over 3,600 people signed the petition, with more joining hourly. “Girls’ sports are worth protecting,” Lorey said. “Our daughters, sisters, and teammates are worth fighting for.”
As the CIF finals approach, the story of these girls will not fade. California Family Council, along with partners like ICONS, Advocates for Faith and Freedom, and others, are committed to fighting until common sense prevails.
“This is the hill we will die on,” said Shaw. “We will not stop. Let’s stop this madness once and for all.”
