Ward Sparacio
A Coupeville School Board candidate has an unusual court case in his background.
Ward Sparacio, who is vying for the Position 5 seat, was sued in 2009 over hijinks on the high seas.
Or, more appropriately, hijinks in the harbor.
Sparacio, Dan Bickford, Dave Wolfe, and Confirma, Inc. — a manufacturer of medical imaging devices — were defendants in a lawsuit in which Steven and Karen Slasinski sought damages for “false imprisonment.”
The case sprang from a July, 2007 dinner cruise on The Champagne Lady on Lake Washington, part of a week-long seminar for the Confirma sales team.
As the night came to a close, several employees were locked in the bathroom.
Court papers allege Steven Slasinski was unable to exit when the ship docked and other Confirma employees left the ship.
After being locked inside the bathroom for 20-25 minutes, he was released by the boat’s crew after they were alerted to his presence by his kicking the door in an effort to free himself.
Steven Slasinski sued for “damages arising from false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and breach of implied contract,” while Karen Slasinski filed for “damages arising from loss of consortium.”
A jury returned a verdict in favor of Confirma and its employees, and the decision was upheld after appeals.
According to his personal LinkedIn page, Sparacio was employed by Confirma as Vice President, Global Sales from Jan. 2007 through Sept. 2008.
He has held seven other jobs since, and is currently listed as Director, Commercial Innovation – Handheld Ultrasound for GE Healthcare, a position he has held since Feb. 2021.
Sparacio was listed as the Treasurer for the Island County Republican Party, though stepped away from that position when he filed for the school board race.
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