Indiana House and Senate Republican leadership want to insert themselves into a federal lawsuit against Attorney General Curtis Hill and the state.

The lawsuit involves Hill’s alleged groping last year of a state lawmaker and three legislative staffers.

The four women filed the suit earlier this year. They accuse Hill of sexual harassment and battery – and they accuse the state of employment discrimination. That includes sexist or inappropriate comments allegedly made by lawmakers of both parties.

House and Senate GOP leaders hired an outside attorney and want to intervene in the lawsuit. They argue the three staffers are their employees and so the two chambers have a right to defend themselves against some of the accusations in the suit. They also say Attorney General Hill – whose office normally represents the legislature in court – has a conflict of interest in this case and shouldn’t be allowed to speak for the General Assembly.

According to documents filed with the court, the legislative leaders deny most of the women’s allegations regarding employment discrimination.