LONDON — Months of turmoil over gender inequities in pay at the BBC spilled into Parliament on Wednesday, when a former editor blasted managers for operating a “caste” system and lawmakers described the organization as being in crisis.

“If we’re not prepared to look at ourselves honestly, how can we be trusted to look at anything else honestly?” the editor, Carrie Gracie, said at a hearing of the parliamentary committee on culture and media.

“The credibility of management is damaged,” she said.

The BBC has faced a series of challenges over its pay structure, including a grievance filed late last year by scores of journalists and the abrupt resignation of Ms. Gracie, the broadcaster’s former China editor, last month over pay disparities. Though the BBC has reduced the salaries of some prominent male journalists and scrutinized the pay of other on-air staff, 170 female employees said they had “no confidence” in the broadcaster’s review.

“For anyone who likes the BBC, this is a complete horror show,” said Julian Knight, a Conservative lawmaker.