California football team forfeits playoff game with girl on opposing team, here's why

Valley Christian Academy will forfeit its 8-man playoff football game because it's against school policy 'touch girls'.

Valley Christian of Santa Maria will forfeit its 8-man football playoff game on November 18 against Cornerstone Christian. / Generic

At first, the headline reads like the decision to forfeit a high school football game is politically motivated. We've seen it in Southern California this season already when a few girls volleyball teams refused to compete against Jurupa Valley High with outspoken transgender athlete AB Hernandez on the team. Hernandez is a biological male.

However, this story is not of the same ilk, though it's still a headscratcher.

Santa Maria Valley Christian Academy will forfeit its 8-man playoff football game against Cornerstone Christian Friday because it refuses to compete against a team with a girl on its roster. According to Press-Enterprise reporter, Eric-Paul Johnson, Cornerstone Christian has a female kicker.

It's a school policy set in place since 2018, according to an article written by the LA Times in 2023.

“We have a policy in our school that boys are not to touch girls. And that is a policy to protect our young men and to respect our young ladies mainly,” said Valley Christian Academy Supt. Joel Mikkelson, who’s also the lead pastor at First Baptist Church. “That policy extends over onto the athletic field, specifically football. ... So, our policy is we will not play a team that has a girl on its roster.”

It's not the first time this program has created this kind of headline, and it's not even the first time this season.

The Lions rolled into the postseason 7-1 with its only loss coming via forfeit to Cuyama Valley on October 25 due to violating the same school policy. The decision to forfeit the team's quarterfinal game will end the Lions' season and end the careers of the seniors on the team.

“This is not about arrogance, this is not about pride, this is not about unfairness. In all fairness, we want to treat women with gentleness and respect. And so we want our young men to apply that to the football field,” Mikkelson said to the Times. “And we believe football is a violent game, and accordingly we want them to operate within the rules of football and hit people well. And we don’t want them to do that to a young lady.

“And so, we will forfeit a game. ... We give the victory to that other team, so any other team that would complain about that, it’s extremely unfortunate. You know, the reality of this situation is ... we probably won’t win the league championship this year because of that policy that we want to stand by, to treat young ladies with respect.”

TITLE IX LAWSUIT

Valley Christian settled a Title IX sex discrimination lawsuit in August of 2023 over its policy, according to the same LA Times article.

Not allowing Valley Christian Academy to play a football game against a team with a girl on it resulted in a lawsuit in September 2021.

The Times cites the program had forfeit at least one game for four straight seasons up until 2023 because of this policy. It did not have to forfeit any games in 2024, but has now forfeit two contests due to the policy in 2025.

“We have the utmost respect for the women that we enroll here at our school, the women that are enrolled in other schools, for women in general,” Mikkelson told the Times in 2023. “And that’s the reason for our policy is to teach our young men to be men who love God and respect women. And that does come down to some tough policies, but it is all about wanting to be people who are good citizens in this world and examples of Christ.”

• LA TIMES ARTICLE

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