A federal judge cleared the way for a podiatrist to pursue a claim that Swedish Covenant Hospital fired him for accusing another employer of violating the Americans with Disabilities Act. In a written opinion last week, U.S. District Judge Jorge L. Alonso denied a motion to dismiss James Lawton’s retaliation claim against the hospital. Alonso rejected the argument that Lawton failed to state a claim for retaliation because it was the Weil Foot & Ankle Institute LLC — not the hospital — that purportedly discriminated …