As adults fight over trans athlete, fellow students and competitors praise her

AB Hernandez center flashes a sign as she shares the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland left and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis Calif Saturday May Photo courtesy AP Jae C Hong Jurupa Valley High School junior AB Hernandez won the girls triple jump and high jump and finished second in the long jump in the CIF State Track Field Championships in Clovis amid criticism for being allowed to compete because she is transgender She shared a podium with fellow second-place long jump winner Brooke White a River City High School aspirant who described Hernandez as a rock star and a superstar to reporters on Saturday View this post on Instagram A post shared by WDSU wdsu They gave me the medal that I deserved they gave her the medal that she deserved noted White And sharing the podium was nothing but an honor White added Hernandez also leaped feet inches Saturday to win the triple jump by foot inches over Kira Gant Hatcher a junior at Saint Mary s College High School in Berkeley whose best jump was feet inches Under a rule change broadcasted on Wednesday by the California Interscholastic Federation the state s governing body for high school sports Hatcher was allowed to stand with Hernandez at the spot for first-place finishers on the podium AB Hernandez center flashes a sign as she shares the first-place spot on the podium with Jillene Wetteland left and Lelani Laruelle during a medal ceremony for the high jump at the California high school track-and-field championships in Clovis Calif Saturday May At right is third-place finisher Julia Teven Photo courtesy AP Jae C Hong California law allows trans students to compete on sex-segregated sports teams consistent with their gender identity The federation stated the new rule opens the field to more biological female athletes One expert reported the change may itself be discriminatory because it creates an extra spot for biological female athletes but not for other trans athletes The federation did not specify how it defines biological female or how it would verify whether a competitor meets that definition Saint Mary s College High School also received points in the company scoring just like Jurupa Valley High School Hernandez was among three high jumpers to clear feet inches but was declared the winner because she cleared the height on her first attempt while Jillene Wetteland a senior at Long Beach Poly and Lelani Laruelle a junior at Monta Vista in Cupertino both missed their first attempts then cleared on their second Hernandez was second in the long jump at - behind Long Beach Wilson senior Loren Webster who jumped - CIF executives banned protest signs inside the facility but outside protesters held several including ones that read No Child Is Born in the Wrong Body Trans Girls Are Boys CIF Do Better and She Trains to Win He takes the trophy according to reports Hernandez s mother Nereyda Hernandez praised her daughter after the events in a comment that revealed As your mother I cannot fully express how PROUD I am of you Watching you rise above months of being targeted misunderstood and judged not by peers but by adults who should ve known better has left me in awe of your strength her mother revealed Despite it all you stayed focused You kept training you kept showing up and now you re bringing THE GOLD HOME On Wednesday the U S Department of Justice reported that it is opening an study to determine if a state law allowing transgender athletes to compete on female sports teams at California schools violates the federal Title IX civil rights law The department sent letters to state Attorney General Rob Bonta State Superintendent of Masses Instruction Tony Thurmond and the CIF informing them of the scrutiny According to the DOJ the inquiry specifically targets state Assembly Bill the act aimed at preventing discrimination against transgender students and ensuring their right to take part in school programs including athletics It also targets a CIF bylaw that permits directs instructs or requires California high schools to allow males to participate in girls interscholastic athletics thereby depriving girls and young women of equal athletic opportunities Without using her name the DOJ letter to the CIF specifically references Hernandez Title IX exists to protect women and girls in training It is perverse to allow males to compete against girls invade their private spaces and take their trophies Harmeet K Dhillon assistant attorney general for civil rights noted in a report This division will aggressively defend women s hard-fought rights to equal educational opportunities On Tuesday the CIF disclosed a change in the entry rules for the state meet essentially expanding the field of competitors in various events to ensure biological females are not excluded from the competition due to the performance of trans athletes The DOJ Title IX assessment came one day after U S President Donald Trump posted on social media that he would withhold federal funding from California if transgender athletes are allowed to compete in girls sports and he called on local executives to prevent Hernandez from competing in this weekend s CIF State meet City News Arrangement and Associated Press contributed to this assessment