A California high school sporting event has sparked significant controversy due to the performance of a transgender athlete. Fans and parents at the state finals expressed their discontent and anger regarding the results.
In a remarkable decision, officials took an unusual step in response to the situation.
AB Hernandez, a 17-year-old senior from Juniper Valley High School, swept the girls’ categories in long jump, high jump, and triple jump at the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section finals over the weekend.
The atmosphere was charged with tension, as the frustration was evident not only among protesters and parents but also among the female athletes who appeared to keep their distance from Hernandez following the competition.
Anticipating potential reactions and the possibility of controversy, event organizers made the decision to award gold medals to the female athletes who finished in second place.
In total, eight gold medals were distributed to the second-place finishers who competed against Hernandez, acknowledging their performances.
In all, eight gold medals were awarded to the female athletes who finished second behind Hernandez.
Some female athletes declined to be seen next to Hernandez at all.
Malia Strange of Shadow Hills High School, whom Hernandez beat by two feet in the triple jump, no-showed on the podium during the medal ceremony.
The parents of 17-year-old Olivia Viola, a female athlete, wore shirts that read, “Protect Girls Sports.”
“She thinks it’s a fundamental issue of fairness for women,” said Olivia’s mother, Tracy Howton.
“She’s fighting for the rights of female athletes. It’s a very simple principle. That’s what she’s standing strong on. It shouldn’t be that controversial.”
Howton did not exempt California Governor Gavin Newsom from responsibility for failing to protect girls’ sports.
“He’s tried to peg any female who’s trying to stand up for women as bullies,” she told the New York Post. “It’s a way for him to try to shut them down.
“It’s easier for him if the girls don’t speak up.”
The controversy surrounding AB Hernandez’s involvement in the California State Finals reached Pennsylvania Avenue last year, when President Trump took to Truth Social to blast California for the display.
“THIS IS NOT FAIR, AND TOTALLY DEMEANING TO WOMEN AND GIRLS,” Trump wrote.
