Overland Park ? Johnson County Community College President Charles Carlsen says he will take a leave of absence in the wake of publicity about allegations that he sexually harassed a female employee.

A report about the harassment alleged to have taken place in 2003 was published Thursday in The Campus Ledger, the college newspaper. In that article, Carlsen denied the woman’s allegations. Later that day, he said he would take the leave.

“I am deeply distressed by reports in our campus newspaper about a personnel issue brought to my attention two and one-half years ago that I was assured had been adequately addressed and satisfactorily resolved at that time,” Carlsen said in a written statement.

He said he thought the college’s board of trustees should appoint a third party to investigate and make recommendations on what the school should do.

“Be assured I am intensely interested in clearing the air on this matter and that just as I am comfortable with my professional conduct, I do pledge my full cooperation in the independent analysis that I am asking to be commissioned by the board,” his statement said.

Carlsen, 67, has been president of the college since 1981. He had no comment beyond the statement.

The account in The Ledger said the woman told her supervisor about incidents she said occurred between May and November 2003. The newspaper reported the employee documented the conversation with her supervisor in a 22-page narrative that also described discussion of the matter with Carlsen and two senior college officials.

The woman gave a copy of that report to Elaine Perilla, president of the college board, the newspaper reported.

David Westbrook, a consultant working with the college, said trustees would determine who would conduct an investigation if they agree one should be done.

Perilla had no comment on the allegations in the campus paper, and other trustees who were on the board at the time could not recall the matter coming to the board’s attention.

“That complaint was never taken to the board, I can assure you of that,” said Molly Baumgardner, who spent 18 years as a trustee before leaving the board in 2004. “That complaint absolutely should have been taken to the board.”

Enrollment at the two-year college exceeds 34,000, with more than 18,000 students taking credit courses.