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Phys Ed Fiasco: Principal Forgets To Schedule Gym, Chaos Ensues

NEW YORK (CBS 2) -- It's an unbelievable case of a Queens principal who seems to be undergoing a gigantic "senior moment."

He forgot to make his students take gym and now members of the senior class may not graduate.

It's a full-scale, phys ed fiasco, reports CBS 2's Marcia Kramer.

The principal of the of Robert F. Wagner Jr. Secondary School in Long Island City won't be able to redeem himself by doing 100 push-ups or even 1,000 sit-ups.

"Words can't even express how mad we all are," senior Jas Gill said. "They messed up big time and they're not coming up with a plausible solution."

"I'm very angry and I'm very stressed out. It's a lot," added student Lena Juliano.

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Even though he's worked for the Department for Education for 43 years, Principal Bruce Noble somehow forgot to schedule gym for his students -- and about 100 members of the senior class may not graduate unless they can somehow make up two or three years worth of gym in the next three months.

"A school can't forget to give a class. It's their responsibility," student Ahmed Hasan said, adding when asked when he thinks he might graduate, "2013."

In frantic effort to make up the gym credits the principal told the students they could count doing exercises on Nintendo Wii or go to an outside gym.

"We have to pay for it out of our own pocket," student Jessica Rivera said.

And there's another problem: the kids claim the principal said they could fudge the numbers.

"They're telling us to even cheat on the hours. Let's say you go today for like an hour. They say change it to three hours," student Amao Khamis said.

Kramer reports at least one student as Noble on tape saying just that – lie about the numbers.

A number of students told Kramer about Principal Noble's meeting with their class to tell them about the mess up. Juliano said she recorded the meeting on her cell phone where noble told them to get private gyms to sign papers saying they worked out.

But when asked what should the students do if the gyms said no, Noble on tape is heard saying "if no one cooperates with you, then put in your hours, bring it to Peggy and she will sign it."

"But that's cheating," one student surmised.

The students said "Peggy" is Assistant Principal Peggy Jayne.

"He wants us to cheat the Board of Education," student Bridget Mena said.

"So, basically, if he's telling us that were allowed to lie why can't you just give us the credit?" Juliano added.

The Department of Education said the entire matter is now under investigation. It sent investigators into the school Friday to examine the records of each member of the graduating class. The principal could face disciplinary charges.

Can you believe this? Please offer your thoughts in the comments section below.

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