Gwinnett school police charged a 16-year-old student Wednesday after rampant text messaging spread rumors that a violent incident would take place on the Peachtree Ridge High campus.

School district spokeswoman Sloan Roach said the student was charged with disruption of public schools and will also face disciplinary action from the school system. The school system did not identify the student who attends the high school.

Police and school administrators investigated the rumors and found no evidence to substantiate the threat, Principal Steven Flynt wrote in a letter to parents Tuesday which was posted on the school's Web site. As a precaution, Flynt said, additional police officers will be on the Suwanee campus and at Pasons Elementary, which is next door to the high school.

A higher than normal number of students were absent Wednesday, but Roach did not have absentee figures yet.

At nearby Duluth High, a large number of students left school early Wednesday after rumors of violence on that campus spread through text messaging, Roach said.

"We believe the rumors at Duluth are a spin-off from the rumors at Peachtree Ridge," Roach said. "We are investigating all these rumors and taking the threats seriously."

Earlier this month, about half the students at Central Gwinnett were absent because of a rumors spread through text messaging that a shooting would take place on campus. Police found nothing to substantiate those rumors.

Roach said principals from both campuses have been answering phone calls from concerned parents.

"We are taking steps to keep our schools safe and secure," she said. "We need students to understand when they receive a text message about a possible threat they need to report it to an adult at school rather than sending it to five or 10 friends."

Peachtree Ridge and Duluth high schools will hold classes as normal today. Gwinnett schools are closed Friday. Roach said the investigation into text messaging at both campuses continues.