Stone Ridge Christian from Merced, California, is making national news after its girls’ volleyball team forfeited a playoff game against a team with a trans player. The team was scheduled to play a California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) volleyball playoff game against San Francisco Waldorf School, which has a male student who identifies as a female playing on the team.  Campus Administrator Julie Fagundes released a statement about the team’s decision, declaring, “As many of you know, our girls won on Wednesday and advanced to the state playoffs,” Fagundes wrote in the letter. “Unfortunately, we were just informed that our opponent, San Francisco Waldorf, has a male athlete playing for their team. At SRC, we believe God’s Word is authoritative and infallible. It is Truth. And as Genesis makes clear, God wonderfully and immutably created each person as male or female. We do not believe sex is changeable and we do not intend to participate in events that send a different message.”

Fagundes also noted the health and safety concerns that having a male player compete against females. There have been multiple incidents of biological females being injuring playing against biological males. In February, Collegiate Charter School of Lowell in Massachusetts forfeited a basketball game in February after several of its players were allegedly injured during a game with a team featuring a trans player. The trans player is six feet tall with facial hair and video has surfaced of the player allegedly wrestling for the ball from a female player, who winds up on the ground, holding her back in pain. Three players were injured during the game, although Collegiate’s athletic director was careful to state the school did not blame the trans player specifically for the injuries.

Fagundes stated that ultimately, the school was committed to following biblical truth. “Standing for Biblical truth means more than the outcome of a game. This is a heartbreaking end to our season, but I hope you will join me in congratulating these outstanding student-athletes. SRC is proud of them.” The school’s decision could impact its future games, that the CIF may be able to sanction the school for speaking out. Currently, the CIF has stated it has made no decisions about the school’s future.