What is the burden of proving discrimination against a plaintiff?

A plaintiff bears the burden of "proving the damages caused her. These damages are determined by `measuring the difference between actual earnings for the period and those which she would have earned absent the discrimination by defendant.' " Horn v. Duke Homes, 755 F.2d 599, 606 (7th Cir. 1985) (quoting Taylor v. Philips Ind., Inc. , 593 F.2d 783, 786 (7th Cir. 1979) (per curiam). If the plaintiff shows these damages, the court should award back pay. See Thorne, 802 F.2d at 1133-34.