A recent development in the Kansas City area reminds us just how quickly a reputation for success and achievement can be tarnished by charges, true or not, of a few moments of impropriety.

Charles Carlsen, the man credited with making Johnson County Community College one of the most admired institutions of its kind in the country, has stepped down as president, apparently under pressure.

Carlsen took a voluntary leave of absence recently following publication of allegations he had sexually harassed an employee in 2003. Carlsen announced his decision to step aside in a short note to the trustees last week. The group accepted the resignation by a 6-0 vote, indicating it understands there may be problems. The outgoing president contends he has done nothing wrong and is pained to see the college he did so much to build and improve distracted by “issues having nothing to do with its educational mission.”

It is sad enough if someone such as Carlsen has allowed unacceptable behavior to tarnish his record. What would be even sadder is if the person or people making the charges have done so erroneously, and the man being accused is not guilty.

This is another case of the damage that can be done in cases of moral behavior when someone is identified as doing something wrong before there is any proof of guilt or innocence. Charges are easy and reputations can be ruined.

Whatever the case, it speaks well for Carlsen that he has chosen at age 67 a path that will lessen the impact on his reputation and will prevent the school he loved and nurtured from being dragged through a long and damaging ordeal. His decision for early retirement is a prudent one.

Johnson County Community College has developed, much due to Carlsen, into a formidable education agency currently undergoing a vast new expansion in facilities and programs. It is better to clear the air immediately and keep moving forward rather than have a hold put on the school’s notable progress due to a scandal, real or not.