In what appears to be a novel move in Texas employment litigation, two Houston lawyers are seeking to keep a sexual harassment case out of arbitration by arguing that resolving the legal dispute in private violates public policy in the #MeToo era.

Rick Prieto and Todd Slobin represent Stefani Bambace, who sued Berry Y&V Fabricators earlier this year after alleging she was sexually harassed by the wife of the president of the company, while working as an in-home tutor for their children.

Bambace alleges that the company retaliated against her by terminating her position a month after she reported to Berry Y&V Fabricators Human Resources Department that she was working in a sexually charged and hostile work environment, in violation of the Texas Labor Code.