(UPDATED, 9:55 a.m., with comments from Vuittonet.)

The West Ada School District has a new trustee, and he’s been a close observer of the discord in the state’s largest school district.

Philip Neuhoff was selected to finish out Julie Madsen’s term on the school board. Madsen resigned last month, after she was one of four trustees targeted in a recall campaign. The other three trustees will stand for a recall election May 17.

Last fall, Neuhoff founded a Facebook page called West Ada Files, Meridian Press reported Tuesday night. The page is described as a public repository for documents “detailing the policies, practices and behaviors” of district trustees and administrators.

Tuesday night’s decision was not unanimous, and illustrative of the deep rifts on the board. The board voted 3-1 to appoint Neuhoff, with trustee Mike Vuittonet dissenting.

And on Wednesday morning, Vuittonet criticized the process. He said Neuhoff turned in his application on Tuesday evening, leaving trustees only minutes to review the paperwork.

“I wanted to take time and they didn’t want to,” Vuittonet told Idaho Education News. “I believe this was their pick. These trustees had a plan and they implemented it. I will certainly try and work with the trustee to do what’s best for kids but he was hand picked.”

Vuittonet — a longtime board member and supporter of former Superintendent Linda Clark — has publicly clashed with colleagues on the board.

Here’s more on Tuesday’s meeting from our broadcast partners at KIVI TV.