Antwan Wilson and Mayor Muriel Bowser at press conference announcing his nomination.

The D.C. Council voted unanimously today to install Antwan Wilson as D.C. Public School’s new chancellor, despite opposition from some groups that allege the nomination process violated the law.

“I look forward to working with the talented educators throughout the system on behalf of all the students and I am confident we can build upon the great foundation that has been laid over the past decade in the District,” Wilson said in a statement.

Mayor Muriel Bowser nominated the former head of Oakland’s public school system to succeed Kaya Henderson last month.

During his two-year stint in Oakland, Wilson was credited with increasing the system’s graduation rate by almost four percentage points, as well as decreasing suspension rates and investing in teacher pay, among other things.

Prior to overseeing the Oakland system, Wilson was assistant superintendent for post secondary readiness in Denver Public Schools for six years, where he oversaw middle, high, and alternative schools. Before that, he worked as a high school principal in Denver, and a middle school principal in Wichita, Kansas— “serving diverse communities and tackling challenges similar to those faced” by D.C.’s system,” according to DCPS.

The education committee held three public roundtables on his nomination and heard from Wilson directly at the third. He also recently toured a Columbia Heights elementary school where he greeted parents, read with students, and sat in on classroom sessions.

But the Washington Teachers’ Union has brought up concerns regarding how Mayor Bowser handled the nomination process.

Elizabeth Davis, president of the WTU, told Fox 5 News that members of D.C.’s chancellor selection panel “were not aware of the qualifications of any of the candidates. We never met them. We never reviewed their resume. We never interviewed with them.” Members of the panel were first introduced to Wilson and his resume about 45 minutes before Bowser announced him as her pick at a press conference in November, Davis said. By law, the mayor is required to get feedback on the chancellor’s nomination from the panel.

The union sent its complaint in a letter to At-large Councilmember and Education Committee Chair David Grosso. Among other things, Davis said she’d like the city to “acknowledge that the process was not followed” and for D.C. to “take necessary steps to ensure the mayor understands the importance of following the law—none of us are above the law.”

Echoing WTU, an anonymous group called Parents for DCPS sent a letter opposing the confirmation to Chair Phil Mendelson and the D.C. Council. Among key factors, the letter called the nomination process “defective” and argues that Wilson has “thin work experience,” questionable achievements and management of public funds, and a history of poor hiring practices as superintendent in Oakland.

The recent ruling on the McMillan project “shows that citizens aren’t afraid to litigate and the courts will keep D.C. government honest,” the letter reads. Based on a cursory review, the group says that a temporary injunction based a violation of statute “would have a high degree of success.” The parents urged the Council to request an official legal opinion from Attorney General Racine before moving forward as “this would save DC taxpayers unnecessary and costly litigation.”

Councilmember Mendelson “has not yet responded,” to the letter, Lindsey Walton, spokesperson for Mendelson’s office told DCist.

Shayne Wells, deputy chief of staff in the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Education, responded to the claims in a statement, saying that not only was Bowser compliant with the law, “she conducted the most inclusive Chancellor search under mayoral control and possibly beyond.” Bowser received and solicited the committee’s full input “in compliance with the law and used it to inform this critical selection for our children’s future.”

Wilson is set to start the job on February 1 with a $280,000 salary.

“Today, we begin an exciting new chapter for D.C. schools,” Bowser said in a statement after Wilson’s confirmation. “After years of reform, we are keenly aware of the challenges our schools and students still face and Antwan Wilson has the passion, determination and ideas for tackling those challenges.”