Suspended US skeleton coach Tim Nardiello will not be allowed to travel with the team for World Cup races in Germany while sexual harassment allegations against him are investigated.

Nardiello's lawyer said today that his client's quest to be immediately reinstated is headed to court.

The US Bobsled and Skeleton Federation's board of directors met by telephone today and voted against a motion - brought by the federation's president, Jim Shea Sr. - that would have allowed Nardiello to travel with the team tomorrow.

The motion was overwhelmingly defeated by the board, despite recent pleas from several top American sliders to reinstate Nardiello in time for both the remainder of the World Cup season and next month's Torino Olympics.

"I felt that I had to do that because this is not a one-sided street," said Shea, the father of 2002 Olympic skeleton men's gold medallist Jim Shea Jr.

"I want to be fair to the athletes as well as the coaches. I thought that was an option to reinstate Tim, let him work with the team while we continue the fact-finding.

"And if we found something, then we would have taken action at the appropriate time."

Nardiello has been on paid administrative leave since Saturday, one day after Felicia Canfield - the wife of federation board member Brady Canfield and a longtime skeleton team member - accused the coach of making explicit comments, touching her suggestively, and trying to kiss her.

Nardiello didn't return a telephone message seeking comment after the meeting.

Nardiello's lawyer said he would seek a court order tomorrow to let Nardiello resume working.

The US men's and women's national teams are scheduled to re-start their World Cup training in Europe on Friday.

Two other sliders have said they were subjected to similar types of harassment from Nardiello, including 2002 women's Olympic gold medallist Tristan Gale.

The other slider who has filed a complaint with the USBSF hasn't been identified publicly.

Neither Canfield nor Gale is under consideration for this year's Olympic team, although Gale is scheduled to compete in the World Cup in Germany next weekend and is on the travel roster for Thursday's trip.

The US Olympic Committee is also investigating Nardiello's conduct, and will have the final say whether he's part of the American delegation to the Torino Games - no matter what the USBSF's probe ultimately determines.

Orvie Garrett has been named the interim head coach for the national team, and Greg Sand will remain as the assistant coach.

Tim Reynolds
AP