[BADGES]

I'm trying to oxidize a methyl group on a aryl ring but attached to my aryl ring is a cycloheptatriene unit.  Is this possible or will the cycloheptatriene be oxidized before the methyl?

All literature I find about the oxidation of cycloheptatriene has it unsubstituted so I'm not sure how the substitution will affect it.

[discodermolide]

I suppose you are using quite a strong oxidant? If that is the case then the cycloheptatriene unit will also be oxidised. See
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja00816a028

That is only the first page but it gives an indication.