My goal for this newsletter is to provide a regular plain-language summary of what has happened in the Oxford Street Education/Croft School bankruptcy, and to flag key deadlines and dates. This issue covers filings from July 2 through July 9, 2026.

The Meeting of Creditors is next week, on July 14. It is the first date on the calendar that many families have asked about, so much of this issue explains what that meeting is, how it works, and whether you need to do anything. The short answer is that you do not. There was also some new activity on the docket, which I cover after that. At the end, I summarize a separate state securities complaint filed against the school's former CEO.

Key dates & deadlines

• July 14, 2026, 9:00 a.m. — Meeting of Creditors
• July 16, 2026, 2:15 p.m. — Hearing on the trustee giving up the two Providence buildings (a step for the people and businesses involved, not something families need to attend)
• August 14, 2026 — Deadline to file a Proof of Claim

What happens at the Meeting of Creditors

The Meeting of Creditors is set for July 14 at 9:00 a.m. It will be held over Zoom. The official notice that was mailed to families lists the Zoom meeting ID, passcode, and a call-in number for anyone who wants to log in.

A Meeting of Creditors is a required, early step in a Chapter 7 case where the person or company that filed for bankruptcy shows up and answers questions under oath. It's run by the bankruptcy trustee — not a judge, and there's no courtroom. The trustee's job is to check that the paperwork is accurate and to identify any assets that could be sold to pay back what's owed. Creditors (the people and businesses owed money) are invited and may attend and ask questions, but are not required to. These meetings are usually short and routine.

Here is what that means for this case in practice. The trustee, Harold Murphy, runs the meeting. A representative of Oxford attends and answers his questions under oath. The meeting is focused on Oxford's assets, debts, and financial records, rather than on broader questions about what led to the closing. Families that are creditors (those owed money by Oxford) are welcome to log in and listen, and may even ask questions. But attending is optional. You do not need to attend to keep your claim, and not attending does not reduce or waive anything you are owed.

The one date that protects what you are owed is the Proof of Claim deadline, August 14. That is the step that matters for families, and I walked through how to file in the last issue. The July 14 meeting is not a deadline and there is nothing you need to file for it.

The U.S. Department of Justice has a plain-language page explaining what a Meeting of Creditors is. It is a good general description of what to expect.

What got filed this week

The court will let Friends of JP remove its property from the Jamaica Plain building

Disclosure: I have served as an advisor to Friends of JP Education, a Jamaica Plain parent group.

In the last issue, Friends of JP Education asked the court for permission to remove the property that backs its loan from the Jamaica Plain building at 3815 Washington Street. The court held a hearing on July 7. It then entered an order stating that the request will be granted through a separate written order to follow.

The trustee got approval to hire his law firm and an accountant

The court signed off on the trustee hiring the professionals who will help run the case. It approved his request to retain Murphy & King as his lawyers — the trustee's own firm — and his request to retain Verdolino & Lowey as the accountant, a firm that handles bankruptcy accounting. Both orders state that any fees still have to be reviewed and approved by the court before they are paid.

The trustee is giving up the two Providence buildings

The trustee filed a notice that he intends to abandon the two Providence buildings, at 144 Wayland Avenue and 179 Wayland Avenue. To abandon property in a bankruptcy is to give it up because it has no value left for the estate to collect. The court has set a hearing for July 16 at 2:15 p.m. on the related requests to end the leases for those buildings. Objections to the 179 Wayland request are due July 10, and objections to the 144 Wayland request are due July 15.

A separate state securities complaint against the school's former CEO

On June 30, 2026, the Massachusetts Securities Division filed an administrative complaint against Scott Given, under docket number E-2026-0666. An administrative complaint is a formal set of allegations that a state agency uses to start a case it decides itself, rather than in court.

The complaint centers on the Croft Bonds. It alleges that Given raised about $8 million from Croft families by selling the bonds. The complaint describes the bonds as promissory notes paying 12.5% interest over four years. It states that he sold at least 113 bonds between February 2024 and December 2025. That included about $3.55 million from 46 Jamaica Plain families and $3.16 million from 30 South End families. As of January 1, 2026, it states, families were owed about $6.7 million, not counting interest.

The Division alleges that Given misrepresented the school's finances to sell the bonds. It alleges that he falsely claimed the bonds were backed by a "financial support fund" that did not exist. It alleges that he used money from new investors to pay earlier ones. And it alleges that he moved money between the school's accounts and his own to cover personal expenses. That included what the complaint describes as lavish vacations. It also alleges that he sold the bonds without registering them, and without registering himself, as state securities law requires.

The complaint further states that Given admitted the misrepresentations. It states that he told a board member in March 2026 that he had shown the board, investors, and the bank fake financial records. It states that in a June 2026 statement released through his counsel, Given told Croft investors and lenders that he had lied to them.

The Division asks for an order with several sanctions. It would bar Given from the securities business in Massachusetts and impose a fine. It would also require an accounting of investor money and require Given to offer to buy the bonds back with interest. The case has not been decided, and Given will have an opportunity to respond at a hearing.

Disclosure: Our family holds a Croft Bond.

Key Links

• Public Docket
• Bankruptcy Filing (June 5, 2026)
• Notice of Bankruptcy (June 5, 2026)
• Electronic claims filing site
• Massachusetts Securities Division complaint against Scott Given (June 30, 2026)

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This newsletter is a community update. Nothing in it is legal advice and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you need advice about your own situation, please consult a lawyer.