Ex-Portsmouth High coach pleads not guilty to sexually assaulting teen at restaurant
PORTSMOUTH — James McKenzie has pleaded not guilty to charges of sexually assaulting a minor at a city restaurant last month, and he has been ordered to stay away from the teenager he allegedly assaulted.
McKenzie, a 55-year-old Stratham resident, was arrested by city police last month on charges of sexual assault and simple assault of a minor. He was terminated as assistant coach of the Portsmouth High School baseball team following the charges. He had been a coach with the team since 2005.
McKenzie was released on personal recognizance bail.
Scheduled for arraignment in Portsmouth District Court on Monday morning, court documents show McKenzie pleaded not guilty and legal counsel waived his arraignment.
McKenzie is represented by Portsmouth attorney Kyle Griffin, who responded to a request for comment Monday with an email.
"The complaints filed in this matter by the Portsmouth Police Department depict the alleged offenses Mr. McKenzie has been charged with," Griffin said in his prepared statement. "It is apparent from the complaints and the statutory language of the alleged sexual assault charge that the Portsmouth Police Department have misrepresented the alleged act and nature of the offense to the public. Mr. McKenzie has pled not guilty to both alleged offenses and looks forward to being cleared of all charges.”
The complaint filed with the court shows McKenzie’s alleged actions occurred last month at Gibb’s Garage Bar & Grille, where he was employed. The sexual assault charge alleges McKenzie forcibly fondled a female victim under the age of 18 at the Lafayette Road establishment.
Portsmouth police Capt. John Peracchi said, "It’s still an active investigation so we’ve got no further comment."
Previous story: Portsmouth High assistant coach charged with sex assault of minor at restaurant
The Portsmouth District Court said no trial has been scheduled in McKenzie’s case yet.
Court details
A bail order filed with the court requires McKenzie not to have any contact with the minor he allegedly assaulted, barring him from being within 300 feet of her. McKenzie is also barred from being at Gibb’s Garage Bar and Grille.
Court documents state McKenzie’s sexual assault charge is a Class A misdemeanor and the simple assault charge is a Class B misdemeanor.
According to the New Hampshire Department of Safety, Class A misdemeanors are punishable by up to a year in jail and a fine of up to $2,000. Class B misdemeanors can result in fines of up to $1,200.
Gibb's Garage statement
Gibb’s Garage Bar and Grille released a statement through lawyer Timothy Black in the days after McKenzie’s arrest condemning the alleged incident.
“Here at Gibb’s Garage, we believe that true hospitality begins with the work environment we provide for our employees,” the restaurant’s prepared statement said. “We do not tolerate behavior or actions of any kind that are discriminatory, hostile, abusive or harassing in nature. We are aware of the incident under investigation, and are fully cooperating with authorities.”
When Gibb’s Garage Bar and Grille opened in 2020, McKenzie was identified as the restaurant’s bar manager. Following his arrest, the restaurant’s general manager, Sean Roth, declined to comment on McKenzie’s employment status.
McKenzie turned himself in to Portsmouth police on Wednesday, March 23 after a report about him was made to the department four days prior.
Portsmouth schools Superintendent Steve Zadravec previously said McKenzie did not coach any other school teams in the district.
McKenzie worked as sports editor for Foster's Daily Democrat and the Portsmouth Herald, ending in the late 1990s.
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.
This article originally appeared on Portsmouth Herald: Ex-Portsmouth High coach pleads not guilty to sex assault of teen
