The organizers of the 27th International Workshop on Kaposi’s Sarcoma Herpesvirus (KSHV) and Related Agents are committed to providing a safe environment for all attendees.

The venue is the Portofino Hotel & Marina, Redondo Beach, California, USA, which is accessible to those with disabilities and has up to date compliance with safety codes and accessibility for all attendees. During the meeting registration, each participant was asked to provide an emergency contact including their cell phone number, in case of emergencies. Also, during the registration process participants were asked to list any special accommodations they may need to participate fully in case of any disabilities. We also asked participants if they require childcare which the meeting is prepared to subsidize so that parents of young children (from 6 months to 12 years) can fully participate if they choose to bring children to the meeting, at a nominal fee to participants.

We encourage transparent intellectual debate in a welcoming and inclusive, and safe environment and atmosphere. Organizers and session chairs will foster rigorous but courteous exchanges of all science presented in the oral and poster presentations, in a manner that is respectful to all conferees. The conference is focused on scientific exchange and is not a platform for political expression. The conference will not tolerate unprofessional behavior including harassment of any kind. Specifically, no sexual, racial, ethnic, or religious harassment or discrimination will be tolerated.

To report any violation of the conference code of conduct, attendees will report violations to any of the local organizing committee members (Drs. Jennifer Totonchy, Yoshihiro Izumiya and Subhash Verma) who will all be present at the meeting, and the allegation will be kept confidential to the extent possible. Following report of a violation, Drs. Totonchy, Izumiya and Subhash will meet to discuss the allegation and any evidence and make a decision as to whether the code of conduct has been violated. Those found in violation will be confidentially informed of the violation. Depending on the level of conduct violation, those in violation will either be given a one-time warning or will be asked to depart the meeting.

Any attendee who has questions or concerns can approach any of the local organizers, Drs. Totonchy, Izumiya and Subhash, who will respond to the question or concern and also report it to the members of the Scientific Advisory Committee who are present at the meeting.

The conference safety plan will be posted on the meeting website and cited in the final program books.

Reports of any violations will be recorded in written form by the conference organizers, along with a record of the resulting action for enforcement of conference policy.

Although not anticipated, for those with a Civil Rights concern, reports to the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Civil Rights (OCR) will be available and the website https://www.hhs.gov/civil-rights/filing-a-complaint/index.html will be posted with the conference policy. Filing a complaint of discrimination with the conference organizers is not required prior to filing a discrimination complaint with HHS OCR. Further, seeking any assistance from the conference organizers in no way prohibits filing complaints with HHS OCR. Please see https://grants.nih.gov/grants/policy/harassment/find-help.htm for more information. Individuals with questions, concerns or complaints related to any of the civil rights laws are encouraged to contact the HHS Office for Civil Rights, https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/about-us/contact-us/index.html

Information regarding how individuals can notify the NIH about any concerns of harassment, discrimination or other inappropriate conduct can be found at https://www.hhs.gov/ocr/complaints/index.html

Complaints must be filed within 180 days of when you knew that the act or omission complained of occurred. OCR may extend the 180-day period if you can show “good cause”. To file a Civil Rights Complaint online, open the OCR Complaint Portal and select the type of complaint you would like to file.

For any serious adverse behavior that is beyond the ability of the conference organizers to handle, the organizers will work with appropriate personnel at the hotel venue, or otherwise contact the appropriate local authorities.

In the event of a medical emergency, medical personnel will be immediately called. The hotel venue is located very close to Torrance Memorial Medical Center which stands out as a well-regarded institution with a reputation for quality care. It’s been recognized as one of the world’s best hospitals. In the event of a disaster, the organizers will confer with appropriate local authorities as to the recommended actions.