Portsmouth High assistant coach charged with sex assault of minor at restaurant

PORTSMOUTH — A longtime Portsmouth High School assistant baseball coach was arrested this week by city police on charges that he allegedly sexually assaulted a minor at a Lafayette Road restaurant.

James McKenzie, 55, a Stratham resident and assistant coach of the Clippers varsity baseball team since 2005, turned himself in to the Portsmouth Police Department on Wednesday night. Police said that a report was made Saturday, March 19 that McKenzie had sexually assaulted a person younger than 18 years old at Gibb’s Garage Bar and Grille.

McKenzie is charged with sexual assault and simple assault of a minor. Both are Class A misdemeanor charges, according to Portsmouth police Capt. John Peracchi, both punishable by a maximum of one year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000 for each charge if he is found guilty.

A daily Portsmouth police log states the sexual assault charge against McKenzie was for forcible fondling.

“It was reported to us and we immediately started the investigation,” Peracchi said.

McKenzie declined to comment for this story when reached by phone Friday.

McKenzie formerly worked as sports editor for Foster's Daily Democrat and the Portsmouth Herald, ending in the late 1990s. He subsequently contributed articles as a freelance writer.

Gibb's Garage Bar and Grille reacts to investigation

Peracchi said McKenzie was an employee at the time of the alleged incident at Gibb’s Garage Bar and Grille.

The restaurant's general manager, Sean Roth, confirmed McKenzie was employed by the business at the time of the alleged incident, but declined to comment on his current employment status and the allegations.

“We are working with the police and have been cooperating,” he said.

McKenzie was identified as the Gibb's Garage Bar and Grille bar manager in 2020, when the restaurant opened.

Portsmouth School District reacts to arrest

Portsmouth schools Superintendent Steve Zadravec said McKenzie was terminated from his coaching role earlier this week.

“We were made aware by the police department of the allegations against him in his place of work and immediately removed him as assistant baseball coach,” he said.

McKenzie had no other coaching roles within SAU 52 and the district has not received any reports of wrongdoing on school grounds, Zadravec said.

Zadravec and Peracchi declined to comment on whether the person who was allegedly assaulted is a current or former Portsmouth student.

Zadravec was asked if the school is providing support for students.

“We always have support for students who may experience anything of such allegations and certainly we’re following up as necessary with that,” he said.

Zadravec sent a message to the school district community regarding the arrest, in which he noted McKenzie’s involvement with Portsmouth High School and wrote that he is a local bartender.

“We have no evidence that any of the allegations relate to his role as assistant baseball coach or occurred on school grounds,” Zadravec wrote. “Nonetheless, we take student safety as our number one priority and will continue to work with the Police Department in any way that would be helpful in their investigation.”

In her own separate message to the high school community, Portsmouth High School Principal Mary Lyons noted McKenzie has not been involved with school athletics since the conclusion of the spring season in 2021.

“Immediately upon hearing of his arrest, he was fired,” she wrote.

In McKenzie’s 17-season run as Portsmouth High School baseball’s assistant coach, the team has won seven state championships in eight appearances. From 2008 through 2012, Portsmouth High School baseball set a national record-setting, 89-game win-streak that stands today.

Police seek information

McKenzie was released on personal recognizance bail and is scheduled to be arraigned at Portsmouth District Court on Monday, April 11 at 8 a.m.

Members of the public with information regarding this incident are asked by police to contact Portsmouth Police Department Detective Matt Fredrickson at (603) 610-7667.

Anonymous tips can be made through Seacoast Crime Stoppers by calling (603) 431-1199 or at seacoastcrimestoppers.com. Tips regarding the incident can also be made through the “P3” phone application, which is free to download on Apple and Android phones.

If you need help

Seacoast Media Group provides the following information as a public service with no presumption of guilt or innocence in the case described above:

Haven has trained confidential advocates available to aid those affected by domestic and sexual violence. The 24-hour hotline is (603) 994-SAFE (7233) or visit havennh.org.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is: 1-800-273-8255.

This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: James McKenzie, a Portsmouth coach, charged with sex assault of minor