A former UC Irvine vice chancellor touted for promoting equity and diversity committed sex discrimination by paying three women less than men who did the same or similar work, a campus review has found.

Thomas A. Parham left his post as vice chancellor of student affairs in June to become president of Cal State Dominguez Hills. The review, which was obtained by The Times, found that Parham violated university nondiscrimination policies by refusing to pay an assistant vice chancellor and the directors of two campus centers as much as male counterparts.

Parham denied wrongdoing. In a statement, he said he was a lifelong activist for equal rights and justice with a “long track record of supporting women.”

Parham said he has supported victims of sexual harassment and assault, backed the creation of the campus women’s center, developed programs to empower women and hired and promoted women “at the highest levels of pay equity.” A licensed psychologist who helped launch an Orange County leadership group for black men, Parham has overseen counseling and health services, along with career, life planning and student services during three decades at UC Irvine.

Women who filed the gender discrimination complaints, however, painted a different picture. Tamara Austin, director of the Women’s Hub, which provides programming and supplies for women, said Parham abruptly removed her as chairwoman of an annual black leadership gala this year and replaced her with a man, paying him for the work she had done for free for the previous 2 ½ years.

The review by the campus Office of Equal Opportunity and Diversity, which was dated June 21, confirmed the unequal treatment and said Parham paid the man $15,000 for three months of work this year. The investigator rejected Parham’s justification that he paid the man because he had funding left on a contract from another university job.