You gotta think they would let him hand the paper in, if true.
Which reminds of a gfreat story my buddy told me from when we were at school. He took a class, and didn't hand in the final paper. (This was a classic move of his, I don't think he ever handed a paper in on time. His move was to email the professor saying attached is my paper, and not then 'accidentally' not attach it). Anyway, he gets his report card, has an incomplete for the class. Tries to get in touch with the teacher over the summer (took the class second semester) but the teacher is like very sick or something, not reachable. So finally the next school year starts, he tracks the teacher down, and tells him he sent him the paper, he must've lost it, he can send him another one if he needs, etc. Professor buys the story that he (the professor) must've lost the paper, and just gives him an A on a paper he never even wrote!)