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“Because I had distorted reality in hopes that reality would eventually catch up (and it did not), I made increasingly bad decisions to avoid collapse.”
The Croft School serves 600 students across three campuses, including one in Jamaica Plain. Matthew J. Lee/The Boston Globe
The founder of the Croft School has apologized after being accused of concealing millions of dollars in debt as the school entered bankruptcy proceedings last week.
In a letter released through his attorneys, founder and former executive director Scott Given acknowledged that he lied to families, teachers, staff, and investors about the school’s finances.
“I am writing because I owe this community an apology, and because I owe people an honest attempt at answering the question many have asked: why?” Given wrote.
The Oxford Street Education LLC, the entity that owns and operates the for-profit school, filed for Chapter 7 liquidation in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. According to the 87-page filing, the Croft School, which serves nearly 600 students across campuses in Providence, Jamaica Plain, and Boston’s South End, owes creditors more than $12.2 million.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, and Secretary of State William F. Galvin’s Securities Division have all launched investigations into the school’s finances, according to the bankruptcy filing.
The filing follows the launch of the school’s investigation into Given in March after learning of “serious irregularities” in the school’s financial management, Croft’s Board of Managers said in an email to the school community March 13.
The board accused Given of hiding roughly $13 million in debt, keeping two sets of financial records, and forging a $500,000 letter of credit intended to serve as a security deposit for a South End lease, according to a letter sent to the school community March 17.
The financial crisis nearly forced the Croft School to close this spring. Instead, parents organized a fundraising effort that generated enough money to keep all three campuses operating through June 12, the school announced in a letter June 1.
The Craft School also sought buyers, but were unsuccessful, school officials said in the letter. The South End campus was ultimately acquired by South End Village Academy, a group formed by Croft parents, while the Providence and Jamaica Plain campuses are expected to close next week.
In his letter, Given said he invested significant personal resources into the school and borrowed money from family members, including his father and wife’s parents, to support operations. Given also defended a bond program that raised money from parents and other investors.
“Because I had distorted reality in hopes that reality would eventually catch up (and it did not), I made increasingly bad decisions to avoid collapse,” he wrote.
He offered separate apologies to teachers and staff, families, and investors and lenders, saying he dishonored their trust.
“I will carry enormous guilt, shame, and remorse for the rest of my life for what I did to this community,” the letter continued.
Given also said he did not use school funds for “personal luxury or enrichment.”
However, bankruptcy records indicate that sums were transferred to Given and members of his family in the year before the filing.
According to court documents, more than $100,000 was transferred to Given’s Stephan Hauke, whom The Boston Globe identified as Given’s father-in-law, in late February, while another $40,000 was transferred to his father, Robert Given, in late January.
In total, bankruptcy filings show more than $770,000 was paid to Given, Hauke, and Robert Given during the year preceding the bankruptcy.
Despite Given’s public apology, questions remain about accountability and compensation for those affected by the school’s collapse.
“This likely does nothing to deter members of the Croft South End community from seeking accountability,” a SEVA spokesperson said in response to the letter.
Teachers and staff members at the Jamaica Plain campus filed a lawsuit Thursday in Suffolk Superior Court against the school, Given, and board member Michael Goldstein. The complaint alleges that Croft failed to pay approximately 40 teachers and staff members the full salaries they were owed for the academic year.
A spokesperson for SEVA said teachers and staff at the South End campus have received their full contractual compensation for the 2025-26 academic year, including salary payments scheduled through August.
A spokesperson for the Croft School declined to make additional comment Sunday night.
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