Adeline Johnson, a high school track star at Sonoma Academy in California, seems to have signalled her dissatisfaction with a thumbs-down at the podium after placing fourth in her 1600m race at the North Coast Meet of Champions. Her fourth place finish disqualified Johnson from competing in the state final as only the top three finishers move on, the New York Post reports.

Many believe her thumbs-down motion was in response to Johnson being bumped out of the top three by a transgender female (biological male), who came in second.

The California Interscholastic Federation allows individuals to “participate in programs consistent with their gender identity or the gender most consistently expressed.”

According to reports, security at the event removed protestors who showed up with signs reading “Protect Female Sports.”

READ: High school track star appears to give ‘thumbs-down’ after she’s pushed out of state champs by transgender competitor: ‘Cheated’